Moody
Publishers has graciously provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in
exchange for an honest review.
Harvest
of Gold is to be released on 01 July 2013.
Pre-order your copy in great anticipation, you’re going to love it!
Harvest
of Gold by Tessa Afshar is a sequel to Harvest of Rubies, and the story
commences a few months after the conclusion of the first.
Sarah
and Darius have called a truce and are trying to make their marriage work. Darius, however, is disconcerted by the
strong feelings his wife triggers in him, and in an effort to remain unaffected
by her, he unknowingly and unintentionally hurts her with his attempts to keep
his distance – emotionally and physically.
While accepting his wife and soaking up her admissions of love, Darius
is unable and unwilling to reciprocate.
Firmly believing that he will never be able to love Sarah, Darius breaks
his wife’s heart on a daily basis. Hurt,
but determined to make her husband happy, Sarah works very hard to become the kind
of wife God wants her to be; but a lifetime of habits proves difficult to
break, and both Sarah and Darius will have to learn to rely not on themselves,
but on the One who made them. Only God
can help them break apart their old foundations and help them to rebuild their
habits, their hearts, and ultimately their relationships with each other and
with God. Can Sarah help to turn her
husband’s heart to “his mother’s God”?
Can a nobleman with a deep-seated desire to please his father turn his
back on his father’s way of life?
While
traveling to Susa on invitation from King Artaxerxes and Queen Damaspia, Sarah
and Darius discover and foil a plot to assassinate the King, and Darius finds himself
tasked with solving the mystery; with Sarah’s help, of course. Facing such a daunting task while still
carefully mending the holes in their marriage could either make or break their
delicate bond.
We thus
join Darius and Sarah on a journey to Jerusalem, accompanying Nehemiah on his
mission of rebuilding the Holy City. The
Bible book of Nehemiah is flawlessly incorporated into the story, and is
beautifully brought to life. As Pearl in The Sand compelled me to reread Rahab’s story in the book of Joshua, so did
Harvest of Gold compel me to reread the book of Nehemiah – and whenever an
author of Christian fiction triggers in their readers the need to examine, or
re-examine, the Bible, I think they have accomplished a marvellous feat!
In
Harvest of Gold Sarah and Darius’ fragile marriage experiences even more
challenges than it did in Harvest of Rubies (who would have thought it
possible?!), which I won’t elaborate on to avoid spoilers. This time around the reader gets a glimpse
into Darius’ childhood and we learn why he is so closed off from emotion, and
why Sarah faces such a hard battle to not only help her husband to love and be
loved, but to turn her husband’s heart towards the Lord.
We also
meet two of Darius friends (who thoroughly charmed me), Lysander and Roxanne.
Sidebar: I would love books with
these two as protagonists. What fascinating characters they are!
Anyone
who has read Harvest of Rubies quite simply has to continue Darius and Sarah’s
story with Harvest of Gold – you will not be disappointed! While no less intense than its predecessor, Harvest
of Gold delivers everything I could have ever hoped for, for Sarah and
Darius. If you are new to this story, I
would not suggest that you read Harvest of Gold as a stand-alone novel. Where Harvest of Rubies focuses more strongly
on Sarah, Harvest of Gold sheds more light on Darius; you need to read both to
appreciate the character development of both Sarah and Darius. The characters also recall several events of
the past, and having no idea what they are referring to might diminish your
connection to this story; Besides, it is an absolute joy to follow Darius and
Sarah’s story from the very beginning, sharing both of their inner struggles
and eventual enlightenment. In this way,
the state and progression of their relationship is also more understandable and
relatable.
Afshar’s
next book will be a sequel of sorts to my beloved Pearl In The Sand, and will
tell the tale of Rahab and Salmone’s son, Boaz, and his Ruth – one of the most
beloved romances of the Bible. I can’t
wait for this one!
While
relatively new to the trade, Afshar is one of those authors who so clearly has
a God-given talent for writing as well as the Lord’s blessing over her work,
and has already proven herself an author who won’t let you down. Her ability to incorporate a work of fiction
into a well-known Biblical tale and/or historical facts is second to none, her
character development is strong and realistic, and her flare for romance and
intrigue combine for an unforgettable read.
She has firmly established herself as one of my absolute favourite
authors, right up there with Francine Rivers and Dee Henderson. Ms Afshar, may God continue to bless you in
your writing, and may you bring us many more books to love and cherish.
Product Information:
Title: Harvest of Gold
Author: Tessa Afshar
Number of Pages: 368
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Year: 2013
ISBN-10: 0802405592
ISBN- 13: 978-0802405593
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ReplyDeleteI lives in uk and i was in a serious relationship with my ex guy for three good years.. One day we were in a dinner party, we had a little misunderstanding which lead to a Quarrel and he stood up and left me at the dinner party. i try to call him but he was not picking my calls so after than i contacted my brother and told him about it,my brother so much love me that he had to see him on my behalf,he told my brother that it is over between us.. Then i contacted a friend of mine that had this similar experience and she directed me to one of the spiritual diviner (DR_MACK@YAHOO.COM).at first i thought it was not going to be possible and i contacted him i was ask to come up with a little requirement,so i did what i was ask to do, after 3 days i was in my office when my ex guy called me and was asking me to forgive him and come back to him. i was very surprise it was like a dream to me
It made me laugh, cry, get angry and feel so many beautiful things. As usual Tessa has such a way of seamlessly writing a story that makes the characters and their conversations feel real.
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