In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar {CFBA Blog Tour!}

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing In The Field of Grace River North; New Edition edition (July 1, 2014) by Tessa Afshar

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.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Destitute, grief-stricken, and unwanted by the people of God, Ruth arrives in Israel with nothing to recommend her but Naomi's love. Her loftiest hope is to provide enough food to save Naomi and herself from starvation.

But God has other plans for her life. While everyone considers Ruth an outcast, she is astounded to find one of the most honored men of Judah showing her favor.  Long since a widower and determined to stay that way, Boaz is irresistibly drawn to the foreign woman with the haunted eyes. He tells himself he is only being kind to his Cousin Naomi's chosen daughter when he goes out of his way to protect her from harm, but his heart knows better.

Based on the biblical account of Ruth, In the Field of Grace is the story of a love that ultimately changes the course of Israel's destiny and the future of the whole world.

If you would like to read the first chapter of In The Field of Grace, go HERE.

My Review: 
Oh, my! Another amazing release from Tessa Afshar!!

I have loved every book I've read by Ms. Afshar, and this one is no exception! To make things even better, she writes about Ruth and Boaz in In the Field of Grace! The story of Ruth is a long time favorite of mine. I was so thrilled to discover that's who I'd be reading about. I love how Ms. Afshar tries to stay true to the Bible while also threading in fiction where there are gaps or "loose ends" in the story. She did this in a truly amazing way.

I loved how she characterized Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. She fleshed them out, gave them dreams, gave them fears... In essence, she breathed life into them. One day when I'm in Heaven I'm going to ask Ruth to tell me her story. (As well as ask many other people, but I digress...) It wouldn't surprise me if Ruth reveals many of the same emotions that Ms. Afshar portrays in the story. It's beautifully done. This is another book that will have a permanent place on my shelf to be re-read, and lent to people who I think need the story brought to life. I'm very picky with what Biblical fiction I read, but I'm proud to say Tessa Afshar's works have made the cut. ;-) I recommend this novel to fans of Biblical fiction anywhere from adults to the teenagers of fifteen.

I received this book from River North through CFBA in return for an honest review of my opinions, which I have done. Thanks!!

Mini-Reviews {INSPYs}

Hey, everyone!

As you probably noticed, this past weekend the winners of the INSPY awards were announced! I was very blessed to be a part of the General Fiction judging panel this year and I'm already looking forward to next year! ;-D Anyway, now that the winners have been announced I thought I would write up some quick mini-reviews of the five nominated books, including the winner. Stick around, there's a surprise at the bottom!

I'm going to start off with the other books and save the winner for last. Sound good? Great, here we go.

Iscariot by Tosca Lee

Personally, I LOVED Iscariot! It shows that Ms. Lee did her research on Jewish customs and traditions. She doesn't give us too much information and keeps the balance right. Having done some study on Jewish feasts, this book was fascinating for me. However, I recommend this book with caution. I suggest readers to be sixteen-seventeen or older due to some minor content in the novel.

Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green

Widow of Gettysburg was probably my favorite novel out of the five. I connected with Liberty off the bat. I also really enjoyed the historical setting/fresh look at the war and those impacted. I studied the Civil War in depth for school last year and it was nice to see such accuracy and care taken. I highly recommend this novel to historical fiction lovers out there. 

To Know You by Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel

I struggled with To Know You. While the theme and underlying message were great, I didn't connect with the characters easily. This book is written for an age group above me, and this contributed to my struggle. It also took me time to adjust to the head-jumping/many points of view. Nonetheless, I believe that women anywhere from their early-to-mid-twenties and up will enjoy this book and get a lot out of it. 

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell

Unfortunately, I have not read the first in this series. If I had, reading this book might have been easier on me. Cantrell's characters are well formed and the story is well developed but overall, the book fell short due to some confusion at the start. That being said, I plan on going back and reading the first book to hopefully get a better grasp on Millie and her past. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy reading historical fiction, particularly the late 1930s and early 1940s. 

Last, but not least, the INSPY winner! 

Wings of Glass by Gina Holmes

Wings of Glass is written as the main character telling a story. Ms. Holmes truly made Penny and her friends come alive off the page. It probably wasn't easy penning a story about spousal abuse. For me, this book was hard to read at times, due to some of Penny's idiotic decisions. However, I'm sure that any woman under Penny's circumstances might have done the same thing. I do not recommend this book lightly, the topic is a hard one to swallow at times but if you're up for it then by all means read it! 

To celebrate Wings of Glass receiving the INSPY award, I'm giving away a copy of the book! Enter using the Rafflecopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I received all the books for the INSPYs from their publishers, thanks!

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar (CFBA)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Harvest of Gold River North; New Edition edition (July 1, 2013) by Tessa Afshar

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.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The scribe Sarah married Darius, and at times she feels as if she has married the Persian aristocracy, too. There is another point she did not count on in her marriage-Sarah has grown to love her husband. Sarah has wealth, property, honor, and power, but her husband's love still seems unattainable.

Although his mother was an Israelite, Darius remains skeptical that his Jewish wife is the right choice for him, particularly when she conspires with her cousin Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Ordered to assist in the effort, the couple begins a journey to the homeland of his mother's people. Will the road filled with danger, conflict, and surprising memories, help Darius to see the hand of God at work in his life-and even in his marriage?

A hidden message, treachery, opposition, and a God-given success, will lead to an unlikely bounty.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Harvest of Gold, go HERE.

My Review:
This is the best Biblical fiction novel I have read in a while!

From the very beginning I knew I was going to enjoy this book. I don't know if it was Sarah or the story that won me over but nonetheless, this book is going on my keeper shelf. I confess, it wasn't until I was half-way through the story that I realized Harvest of Gold is technically a sequel to Harvest of Rubies; however, Harvest of Gold can be read as a stand alone. I only felt confused twice.

Oh, mercy. I loved Darius. I loved Sarah. They are an awesome couple. Both characters are beautifully written and I thoroughly enjoyed their story. I loved how she portrayed Nehemiah, I thought she did an excellent job bringing to life the man God called to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. He wasn't perfect. He was concerned. But though everything, he trusted in God.

All in all, this is a marvelous tale! Afshar represents the time period well. I hold such a deep admiration of her characters and I can't wait to see what she releases next! In the meantime, I'll be tracking down a copy of Harvest of Rubies to read. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy Biblical fiction.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through CFBA, in return for an honest review of my opinions, which I have done. Thanks!