Book Review: Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar
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Synopsis from back of book:
The scribe Sarah married Darius, and at times she feels as if she has married the Persian aristocracy too. But there is another point she did not expect in her marriage — Sarah has grown to love her husband. She has wealth, property, honor, and power, yet securing her husband’s love seems unattainable. And though Darius has been on numberless battlefields facing fierce enemies, he finds himself standing before Sarah with a fear he has never before felt — all because he wishes to express the truth to his wife.
My review:
I really enjoyed this story of a husband and wife learning to love each other in Biblical times. The amount of historical detail that goes into this author’s fictional accounts is so impressive to me. This book is set during the time of Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem and I loved the way that both stories wove around each other.
I had the impression from the back of the book that I would be reading mostly Sarah’s story, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was the struggles of Darius that took my attention. Not that Sarah wasn’t a wonderful character in her own right, but I was drawn to Darius and his path to a more fulfilling relationship with both his wife and with God.
Sarah makes some mistakes early on that push Darius away from her, but the love that she has for her husband is so sweet and her attitude is so humble that I admired her.
I didn’t realize when I began this book that there was one before it which is the story of how Darius and Sarah actually meet. I wish that I had read that book because there were a few references to their courtship in this book that made me feel I had missed something. That being said, it didn’t really take anything away from this story.
What I enjoyed most about this book:
I really liked Darius. I also enjoyed Roxanna and Lysander who injected some fun into the story. I wonder if this author will come back and tell their story?
What I didn’t like about this book:
Just that there were a few references to their courtship that made me wonder if I had missed something. Which I did, now I need to get the other book…
My rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Would I recommend this book to others? Definitely. This author has such a gift for making the Bible come alive. From the characters to the descriptions, I could really get a sense of what those times must have been like. This is the second book in a series. It is a standalone, but it is also the continuing story of Sarah and Darius so you may want to read the first book as well.
Where can I learn more about this author and their books?
Tessa Afshar, author website
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2 Comments
Anne Rightler
I like the woman who touched the hem of Christ’s garment. She was so desperate and knew He was her only hope to be delivered. He is our Hope, He is our strength!
Loraine
Oh that is so true Anne. To have that kind of faith, ahhh. 🙂