Agent: Wendy Lawton, Books & Such Literary Management. But fans of biblical fiction will enjoy an absorbing and well-researched chariot ride. Some edges need polishing: the writer’s evangelical theology occasionally breaks through explicitly (“my guilt is gone, replaced by grace”) and the dialogue occasionally rings too modern. Her portrait of the commerce and business of the time is fresh, making the family business a central aspect of the story. The denouement will be familiar to Christian readers, who will be fascinated by the ways Afshar breathes life into the ancient time and place of Jesus’s life. When Elianna later falls ill, she becomes isolated from everyone close to her. The wound of estrangement from her father over this incident never heals, even as Elianna grows to prove herself a capable business partner in her father’s textile trade. Elianna is a young girl crushed by guilt. Afshar presents Elianna, whose life is blighted by the death of her young brother while in her care. Before she stole healing by touching the hem of his garment. For those interested especially in Biblical-based fiction, the subject matter Afshar tackles is unique, but like medicine, at times difficult to swallow.The newest biblical fiction from Christy Award–winning novelist Afshar imaginatively elaborates on the short gospel story of the woman who stealthily touches Jesus and is healed. Elianna’s resiliency through suffering is formidable, and her guilt, heart-breaking.Īfshar’s research into period medicine has unearthed some truly bizarre treatments which find their way into the course of the story, and which add interesting historical detail. The plot, however, is needlessly complicated by the main character’s dysfunctional disposition which, I found, made her unlikeable at best. It is a compelling story of a woman who has spent her savings visiting different doctors, and trying multiple treatments, in an attempt to cure the incurable – in a word, she is relatable. All the Bible provides are six small verses, an anecdote really, of this unnamed woman, whom Afshar dubs Elianna. This biographical fiction novel expands upon a story found in the eighth chapter of the book of Luke, wherein a woman having a blood disorder of twelve years touches the hem of Christ’s garment. Is she destined for a life of hardship, or is there still a chance for hope and healing? It seems as if God has cursed Elianna, and as illness strikes, she learns the heavy costs of protecting those she loves. Harvest of Rubies was a finalist for the ECPA Christian Book Award in the. Her novel Land of Silence was named by Library Journal as one of the top five Christian fiction titles of 2016.

Her awards include the Christy and the INSPY.

A series of tragedies forces her to assume sole responsibility for the business, and despite her natural talents, which bring prosperity, nothing can buy the forgiveness she seeks. Tessa Afshar is an award-winning, ECPA bestselling author of historical and biblical fiction. Elianna is still a young girl when she begins working in her father’s textile business, plagued by guilt over her younger brother’s death.

Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar