CFBA: Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar

Song Stuck on the Brain: I Try by Macy Gray

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing: Harvest of RubiesRiver North; New Edition edition (May 1, 2012)byTessa Afshar

MY TAKE:

I was blown away the first time I read a Tessa Afshar book. That book, Pearl in the Sand, raised the bar on Bible based fiction. It was gripping and I fell head over heals for her writing. As you can imagine, I was jumping up and down when I saw Harvest of Rubies offered for review.

I fell head over heals in love again. This time around, the Bible connection is limited as to Biblical historical figures, Nehemiah is present but it doesn't center around his life, instead it centers around his young cousin. As the title suggests, Tessa has used Proverbs 31 as her inspiration. It's masterfully done. Sarah doesn't see herself as worth more than Rubies, but as her story unfolds and she learns to trust the Lord to find her self worth and love, her  life changes. Her eyes are opened to see what others already can. The love story between Sarah and Darius appears disastrous at first, but the honesty and insight that goes into creating their journey was beautiful.

I never would have expected that Proverbs 31 could have taken on such an intimate and personal meaning to me, but it has. It's like the author pulled back the curtain and allowed us to see the real story behind the proverb. Beautiful. It's also the first in a series and I'm anxious to see where the author takes us from here. It's bound to be a fabulous journey.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Remarkable Talent Threatens to Cloud a Life

The prophet Nehemiah’s cousin can speak several languages, keep complex accounts, write on tablets of clay, and solve mysteries. Her accomplishments catapult her into the center of the Persian court – working long hours, rubbing elbows with royalty, and becoming the queen’s favorite scribe.

Not bad for a woman living in a man’s world: so why does Sarah feel like a failure?

A devastating past has left Sarah with two conclusions: that God does not love her, and that her achievements are the measure of her worth – a measure she can never quite live up to.

Darius Pasargadae is accustomed to having his way. A wealthy and admired aristocrat, the last thing he expects is a wife who scorns him.

Can two such different people help one another overcome the idols that bind them?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Harvest of Rubies, go HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

TESSA AFSHAR was voted "New Author of the Year" by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader's Choice Award 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. She was born in Iran, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last thirteen years in full-time Christian work.