Alexander the Great by Dominic Sandbrook

The life of Alexander the Great is a story of fierce battles, the determination to rule the known world and to discover new worlds to conquer. It is a story that has captivated so many, through the ages and it is brought wonderfully to life in Dominic Sandbrook's  Adventures In Time series.

One summer day in the 4th century B.C., Philip, a young prince from Macedonia, arrived on the island of Samothrace. He had come to experience for himself, "the annual festival, when newcomers entered the inner sanctum, bathed in the blood of the sacrifice and learned the mysteries of the underworld." This was in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. During the festival, Philip saw a "raven-haired" girl named Olympias, whose father was king of Epirus. She captured his imagination.

In 359 B.C., when he was twenty-three years old, Philip became king of Macedon. In 357 B.C. he married Olympias. The night before her wedding, Olympias had a strange dream involved Zeus. In the summer of 356 B.C., she gave birth to a boy she named Alexandros or Alexander. On the day Alexander was born, his father King Philip captured the sea port of Potidea, his Macedonian army defeated the Illyrian tribes and his prize stallion won an Olympic race. These were all considered wonderful signs, but one event was viewed as an omen. The great Temple of Artemis, in the city of Ephesus, burned to the ground. To the temple priests, this "...foreshadowed disaster for all Asia."

In Alexander's early years, he was watched over by his nanny, Lanike and was taught by tutors chosen by Olympias. But when Alexander grew older, Philip chose Aristotle, son of Nicomachus as a tutor. He had studied with Plato and had authored books on many subjects including, plants, sea life, magnets, music and much more. 

Under Aristotle's tutelage in the village of Mieza, Alexander learned about the first Greek explorers and the wars between the Greek cities of Athens, Sparta, Thebus, and Corinth. He also learned about the battles between the Greeks and their arch-enemy, the Persians. Studying with him were the sons of Philip's commanders, Perdiccas, Ptolemy, Nearchus the Cretan, his closest friend Hephaestion, as well as Cleitus the Black, Lanike's brother.

Alexander and Hephaestion often ventured far during their hunting trips, the two young men eager to be part of war some day and gain glory. Alexander loved the stories of Perseus, Heracles and especially, Achilles whom he believed was one of his ancestors. 

When Alexander was twelve-years-old, he quickly tamed a large, black stallion whom the horse dealer Philonicus had brought to his father and whom no one could ride. Alexander realized the horse was afraid of his shadow and turned him to face the sun. He named the horse, Bucephalas or "Ox-head".

In the summer of 338 B.C., eighteen-year-old Alexander was with his father's army at Chaeronea. Since taking the throne, Philip had managed to unite the northern part of the Greek world. But in the south, in Athens and Thebes, the people, persuaded by the politician Demosthenes, refused to accept Philip as king. He was considered a "dirty Macedonian".  At Chaeronea, Philip won a decisive battle and travelled to Corinth, where he presented a plan to attack Persia to avenge their invasion a century earlier.

In the summer of 338 B.C., eighteen-year-old Alexander accompanied his father's army at Chaeronea. Since taking the throne, Philip had managed to unite the northern part of the Greek world. But in the south, in Athens and Thebes, the people had been persuaded by the politician Demosthenes to refuse to accept Philip as king. At Chaeronea, Philip won a decisive victory and at Corinth presented a plan to invade Persia and seek revenge for invading mainland Greece a century earlier. Philip was recognized as Supreme Commander of the League of Corinth. He felt even more certain of victory against the Persians after visiting the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and consulting the Oracle. There, the Fates told Philip, "Wreathed is the bull. The end is near. The one who will slay him is at hand." Philip understood this to mean that he would win Persia and that Darius, King of Persia would die.

The wedding of Alexander's sister, Cleopatra to the new king of Epirus, was held in the citadel of Aigai. There were guests from every city in Greece. As Philip prepared to enter the stadium for the wedding games, a man darted from the shadows, knifing the king. Philip was dead, murdered by a once-close friend, Pausania. As it turned out, the prophecy of the Fates was the foretelling of Philip's death, not his victory. Now it was Alexander's chance at glory, one he was determined to meet with strength and unwavering courage.

Discussion

Alexander the Great is an exciting account of one of the most well-known figures in history. Historical fiction author, Dominic Sandbrook has brought to life the adventures and times of Alexander, king, soldier and explorer in a way that is both engaging and informative.

This installment in the Adventures In Time series, traces Alexander's beginnings, starting with his father, Philip's military conquests and his marriage to Olympias and Alexander's early life in Pella. Sandbrook incorporates many interesting facts about life in Greece in 4th century B.C. Alexander is portrayed as a youth who dreamed of great adventures and conquests and who grew into a young man believing he could accomplish them. He also believed he was related to the great Greek hero Achilles and later on that he was the son of Zeus.

Alexander the Great succeeds in capturing the immensity of Alexander's accomplishments, his brilliant military battles and his quest to explore Asia, believing he could claim it for Greece. His campaign against King Porus of India with his fearsome elephants makes exciting reading. 

"On the flanks waited Porus's cavalry. But the Macedonians had eyes only for the centre, where the Indian king had stationed his war-elephants.
The elephants were a magnificent, awe-inspiring sight, their tusks strengthened with poison-tipped spikes, their bodies clad in sheets of chain mail. On each beast's back was strapped a carriage, carrying warriors bristling with bows and spears. 

One elephant, a giant towered above all the rest. In its carriage stood a man of colossal stature, clad in armour of silver and gold, his gaze proud and imperious. This was Porus."

In his Author's Note at the back, Sandbrook notes that he used five major sources from ancient historians in his research on Alexander the Great. He also drew on more recent books about Alexander as well as websites including Livius.org and the articles on Alexander (https://www.livius.org/articles/person/alexander-the-great/alexander-the-great-3/)  and much more. Very little has been passed down about Alexander's wife, Roxana or the children he had with her. Sandbrook noted that he resisted the impulse to add "colourful details" to his retelling and so doesn't expand on her life with Alexander. 

Although Sandbrook does include a map at the front of the novel, a much larger map or a series of more detailed maps might have been more helpful. It would have been wonderful to see a book like this illustrated as well, something no longer a feature of children's chapter books.

Overall though, Alexander the Great is a stellar account of this incredible and exciting historical figure. This biography will have much appeal to those young readers aged ten to seventeen, interested in learning about history and important historical figures like Alexander the Great.

Book Details:

Adventures In Time: Alexander the Great by Dominic Sandbrook
Canada: Particular Books   2022
322 pp.

The Leopard Princess by Rosanne Hawke

The Leopard Princess is the sequel to Daughter of Nomads, concluding the story of fourteen-year-old Jahani. The novel picks up where the first ended with Jahani having refused Azhar's offer to fly to the northern kingdoms on his flying carpet. Instead she has returned to the nomads.

After awakening from yet another dream, Jahani receives a warning from Chandi. She immediately alerts Tafeeq and Rahul who order her to stay in the women's tent. They believe the war lord Muzahid Baig's soldiers are preparing to attack. At dawn as expected, the camp is attacked by Muzahid's men. When soldiers attempt to attack the women's tent, Jahani mounts Chandi and helps Neema and a young boy defend it, rescuing Kamilah. After the attack the nomad prince, Rahul is discovered missing. As it turns out he has been captured by Muzahid who is determined to force Rahul to find him the red haired shehzadi "who holds the key to the northern kingdoms". This is the second time Rahul has been captured and tortured by Muzahid, the first being when he was a ten-year-old boy. Dagar Khan wanted Muzahid to marry Jahani then hand her over to him so he could kill her. Rahul insists that the story of the lost shehzadi from the Kingdom of Hahayul is a legend, but Muzahid believes it to be true and offers Rahul the promise of land when he becomes Tham of Hahayul. He tells Rahul that he has disposed of  the shehzadi's adoptive parents, Baqir Abbaas and his wife Zarah. When Rahul refuses to help Muzahid locate the shehzadi, Muzahid has Rahul's middle finger cut from his right hand.

In the nomad camp  Jahani is visited by Yazan, the snow leopard who tells her that they need to travel north. That night Jahani and Anjuli riding Chandi and Rahul on his mare Farah leave Lalazar for the Babusar Pass. They are attacked in the small pass by badmarsh bandits.

Meanwhile Azhar is devastated that Jahani has refused to travel north with him on his magic carpet. When he learns that Jahani has left the nomad camp, he travels to the Babusar Pass. There he finds Muzahid's men waiting for Jahani. He also meets Jahani's foster mother, Hafeezah on her mare Sitarah, heading north to the Kingdom of Hahayul. She is travelling north to her home in Hahayul with Baqir Abbaas's troops under the command of Saman Abdul. Hafeezah informs Azhar that Muzahid has murdered Baqir and Zarah. Azhar has Hafeezah take his horse Rakhsh north, while he travels by carpet to this father, Kifayat in Jask. There he meets Bilal, the former wazir of  Hahayul. Azhar confesses his concern that Rahul may be taking Jahani to Muzahid. However, his father tells Azhar that Jahani's journey to the Qurraqoram Mountains will help prepare her and raise support.

As they travel north, Rahul tells Jahani he is uncertain that she is the shehzadi that has been foretold.  He tells Jahani how he came to find her twelve years earlier. The summer the royal family of Hahayul were murdered, the nomads travelled farther north than usual into the northern kingdoms. They stayed a few days in the town of Baltit in the Kingdom of Hahayul. Rahul was nine-years-old and while in the town, he learned that a terrible tragedy had occurred in the kingdom. While walking back to the nomad camp, Rahul saw a  lost, red-haired child fall into the river. He managed to rescue her and took her to the bazaar to see if anyone had lost a little girl. Her clothing was covered in blood and had burn marks. The chai walla seeing her red hair told him to hide Jahani as soldiers were out capturing any red-haired girls. The nomads quickly left Baltit, as armed men arrived in the town. Rahul, who had lost his mother and sister, had his Aunt Yasmeen care for her. At ten, Rahul was kidnapped by Muzahid who tortured him and cut off a finger on his left hand. Rahul's father Tafeeq and Aunt Yasmeen believed Jahani would be safer with Zarah and Baqir.

Jahani continues her journey northward for several days. At the Mazeno Pass, they are again attacked by bandits but are helped by Yazan. One night as they are resting, Jahani is warned by Chandi that men are approaching. They are confronted by men dressed in mismatched green shalwar qameezes, led by an unknown man. The man tells them that he is here not to fight but to talk. He identifies himself as Ali Shah, the second-in-command in the tham's army under Dagar Khan.  He refused to support Dagar when he rebelled and fled to avoid execution/ 

Ali tells Jahani the story of what happened when she was very young. He was part of a troop left behind to guard the tham - her father, the ghenish, the little shehzadi and their ministers. When troops were overcome by Dagar's men, he managed to get the shehzadi out into the street, but in the confusion they were trampled and the little girl fell into the fire. He was able to put out the flames and they escaped to the river. However the boat to take them to safety was not there and he was wounded by an arrow. The little child got away and ran to the river in fright. And Ali lost her. Now he is commander of the Makhfi, the hidden army, who are loyal to the royal family of Hahayul.

Jahani is shocked because Ali is describing her recurring dream. When Ali Shah asks Jahani her name, Rahul becomes angry but Yazan instructs her to do so. Jahani tells him her name and lowers her dupatta which covers the bottom half of her face. Ali tells her that Jahani was the nickname for the shehzadi and that her full name is Jahanara Ashraf Shaheen Khan. He also reveals that Dagar Khan is a distant cousin to her father, the late tham. Dagar Khan wants to produce the body of the shehzadi so that he can finally have his rule over the Kingdom of Hahayul accepted by the people. Despite her appearance and Rahul's story, Ali Shah is still unconvinced but when he sees the taveez around her neck, Ali is certain he has found the lost shehzadi.

Ali tells Rahul that he has one hundred men and that "another ten thousand are stationed in the forest near the town of Gilit with my captain, Irshaad." Men are infiltrating Dagar Khan's cavalry, training to overthrow him. He also reveals that Jahani's grandmother escaped the massacre and has been quietly organizing support.

These revelations overwhelm Jahani who now realizes she has a surviving relative and has finally discovered her identity. This leaves her with many questions: "What if she couldn't do what the people expected of her?...Would a man like Ali Shah want to rule for her?,,,Is this why Muzahid wanted to marry her? Did he know she was the shehzadi?" She wonders how she can defeat Dagar Khan.  Jahani's path to the throne of Hahayul will prove to be more dangerous and difficult than she could ever have imagined. With the help of Rahul and Azhar, Chandi and Yazan and many others, Jahani will have to overcome many obstacles including

Discussion

The concluding novel to the Jahani Tales, written in third person past tense,  is exciting and filled with intrigue. In The Leopard Princess, Hawke ties up all of her loose ends and crafts a tension filled but satisfying conclusion.

The novel picks up where the first one left off, with Jahani returning to the nomad camp, unaware of her true identity. Azhar has not revealed what he knows about Jahani, and Rahul is doubtful about the existence of the shehzadi, believing it to be legend. Through various characters, Jahani's past and her identity are gradually revealed to her.  In The Leopard Princess Jahani learns about her past and her heritage from Ali Shah, Rabb's cousin Nusrat, from Shehzadi Zeb-un-Nissa, from Kabeer Yazeed who is Jahani's uncle and imprisoned in Muzahid's dungeon, from her grandmother Kaniza, and even from Dagar Khan. But it is Ali Shah who reveals her identity.  When Jahani meets Ali Shah, his story coincides so remarkably with her nightmare of fire and terror, which he could only have known if he experienced it, that she realizes he is speaking the truth.

When Jahani finally discovers who she is and what her destiny is, she initially experiences conflict over who to trust, Rahul or Azhar and self-doubt as to whether she can truly rule her father's Kingdom. The Leopard Princess follows Jahani's personal journey from internal conflict and self-doubt to courage, trust and self confidence to act as a true queen for her people. Faced with the reality that she is the lost shehzadi whom the people of Hahayul have placed all their hope in, Jahani is filled with doubt. "With Yazan by her side, Jahani felt better. But still doubt had crept into her mind. How could she rise to this challenge and be the shehzadi when she hadn't been raised to rule?" Yazan advises her "You must be yourself."

Once Jahani accepts the truth of her identity she immediately begins to act on it despite her doubts. She makes the decision that "It would be best to regain the kingdom with peace, not war." even though she believes Ali Shah would ridicule this goal. Partly this is because Jahani now believes in the vision Yazmeen shared with her of a  "lost shehzadi, a girl with red hair and a snow leopard, come to the northern kingdoms, and she brought peace without a war." Jahani is not to be deterred; when Rahul counsels that she could return with him to the nomads Jahani tells him " You can return, but I would always feel I hadn't fulfilled my destiny."

The main challenge Jahani must confront is discerning who to trust. Partly this is the result of her being passed from family to family, from the nomads to Baqir and Zarah, then to Hafeezah and back again through her life. Because everyone around her seems to have a motive for helping her, Jahani is distrusts Ali Shah's motives and so she tells him,  'I want you to consult me in any plans as I need to learn about my position. What if I do not agree with your decisions?" When Ali balks at this she tells him, "And another person will rule in my name since I knew nothing...I think not." Jahani is inspired by the Angrezi rani - Queen Elizabeth who ruled England in the 1500s.

Although initially she trusted Azhar who has been protecting her since she lived in Sherwan, she begins to doubt after Rahul warns her about him. This doubt re-surfaces when Jahani accompanied by Rahul and Ali Shah, meets Azhar who suddenly appears on his magic carpet at the Indus River, offering to take her across the river to safety. Even though Chandi warns her to go north quickly, Jahani determined to make her own decisions, refuses Azhar.  This turns out to be a bad decision that results in her capture and eventual arrival in the harem of Muzahid.

In Muzahid's harem, talking to Shehzadi Zeb-un-Nissa, makes Jahani realize that she's "had no experience, no emperor or tham as father, no paternal authority to tell her what she could or couldn't do...Now many men told her to do what they wanted: to be safe, who to trust, who to marry. That would have to change."  

Unfortunately in her attempt to be independent, Jahani turns away the one person whom she can trust, Azhar Sekandar Khan. This is partly because Jahani doesn't know Azhar's true identity either. Hafeezah defends Azhar's actions in not revealing himself to her and cautions her, "We must always be careful that pride or hurt feelings don't blind us to truth." Although Jahani feels that she has acted in the best interests of the Kingdom of Hahayul, her heart tells her otherwise.

When Jahani feels betrayed by Azhar for his part in keeping her identity secret, and feels that there is no one she can trust, it is her grandmother who tells her that she has more allies than she knows.  Jahani comes to recognize that she has not treated Azhar fairly, that he is an ally and can be trusted. She calls for his aid and when Azhar arrives outside the zenana of Dagar Khan, Jahani learns how many people have come to her aid and just who she can trust.

In Jahani, Hawke has crafted an intelligent, courageous heroine, who is not afraid to act. Trapped in Muzahid's zenana or harem, Jahani isn't resigned to her fate but devises a plan to take out the war lord on her terms. She confronts him in his bedroom no less, demanding the use of her charmed sword, Shamsher and then with the help of Yazan slays him. When she arrives in Baltit, Jahani disguises herself to visit her grandmother Kaniza who is imprisoned in the the fort by Dagar Khan. She decides on a second visit because her grandmother  "Kaniza had seen her husband and her son ruling Hahayul; Jahani needed to tap that knowledge." And she decides on a very courageous path, turning herself into Dagar Khan, whom she knows will kill her in a public spectacle. Jahani shows just how important achieving peace in her kingdom is to her, when she is willing to offer her life for her people. She has changed a great deal from the young girl who witnessed the murder of her best friend only months earlier.

 In The Leopard Princess, all of the characters are fictional except Zeb-un-Nissa, who was a Mughal princess and famed poet who wrote under the pen name of Makhfi. She was the eldest daughter of Emperor Aurangzeb and his chief wife Dilras Banu Begum. Zeb-un-Nissa was highly intelligent and well educated in both the Quran and in the sciences.

Hawke rounds out her novel with  a map showing Jahani's convoluted journey to her kingdom, a list of main characters which is helpful but should have been placed at the front of the novel with the first map which details Jahani's journey up to that point, A Note About Languages, and a Glossary.

Young readers, aged 10 plus will enjoy the The Leopard Princess. Parents should be aware there are several murders, a reference to the rape of Jahani's mother and her murder while pregnant and also Jahani's placement in a harem or zenana. The author merely states these things and there are no graphic descriptions.

The Tales of Jahani are Rosanne Hawke's best works to date. It's obvious this story was dear to her heart and that reflects in the care with which these novels were crafted. The setting of the story, in the mountainous northern kingdoms of the Mughal Empire in 1662, the endearing heroine, the magical animals who aid her, the hint of something more between Azhar and Jahani, all combine to make this a unique historical fiction novel.

Book Details:

The Leopard Princess by Rosanne Hawke
St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia: University of Queensland Press    2016
345 pp.

Night Letter by Meghan Nuttall Sayres

From each heart is a window to other hearts.
They are not separated like two bodies,
Just as, even though two lamps are not joined,
Their light is united by a single ray.

Night Letter is the sequel to Sayres' Anahita's Riddle which tells the story of a young Afshar girl who is determined to marry a man she loves rather than the thrice married khan of her tribe.

In Night Letter Anahita is travelling with her mother and grandmother to Marv for her wedding to Arash, the Qajar prince and governor of Marv. Their caravan is only days away from Marv.  On a windy night while Maman Bozorg, Anahita is startled to see three men wearing black turbans storm into their tent. They seize the two women, throw them over the backs of horses and race off across the plains. Hours later they stop at an oasis and when Anahita tries to protest she is hit in the face and knocked out. She awakes later on in a cave to learn that they have left her grandmother at the oasis and that she is now in the company of only two men, one she calls Hawk because of his eyes and an kinder man who speaks French whom she names Muhammad.

Anahita decides she will try to leave clues for those who will surely come in search of her. In the cave she leaves bloodied rags and manages to scratch some clues on the wall of the cave. As they continue their journey along the dusty plain to the north, Hawk reveals that Anahita is destined for a sigheh with a prominent man in Bukhara. A sigheh is a temporary marriage that a woman makes voluntarily, setting the duration and bride price.  Anahita has no intention of agreeing to such a thing even as Hawk threatens her.

Meanwhile Arash learns from young Pirouz, the street boy Arash befriended, that Anahita has been kidnapped. Pirouz learned of Anahita's predicament in the market and he tells Arash that Anahita is to be sold as slaves. Arash's scouts inform him that the Afshars believe that Anahita will be taken to Bukhara. However, Ismail and Arash do not believe she will be sold into slavery but rather that her captors want a ransom. Arash sends his scouts to search the routes to Bukhara, Samarkand and Herat as well as the routes to Isqhabad, Tabriz and Constantinople.

Arash decides to go to the oasis where Anahita was last seen with her grandmother and follow her tracks.  His friend Ismail tells him that should he have to buy back Anahita from the slave market in Bukhara, he will need a great deal of money. Arash instructs Ismail to travel to Bukhara, a protectorate of Russia and should he find Anahita there, to buy her back.

Continuing on her journey, Anahita, Muhammad and Hawk cross the Rhud Amu Darya and up the mountain. Anahita, Muhammad and Hawk reach the summit of the mountain but their descent triggers an avalanche that buries Muhammad and half buries Anahita to her waist, slamming her into a tree and cracking her ribs. Hawk and his horse, Rakhsh escape unscathed, but Anahita learns that Muhammad who's real name is Mahan is no where to be found. Hawk frees Anahita from the snow and does not stop to search for Mahan, instead forcing her to journey to Bukhara

Everyone begins searching now for Anahita. Dariyoush, who was seriously wounded in the thigh during Anahita's kidnapping, decides to set out in pursuit of Anahita.  He traces the kidnappers to the oasis and then follows a trail to Samarkand. In Marv, where Anahita's caravan has arrived her father, Kadkhuda Farhad, organizes Arash's soldiers while Reza and Pirouz take the train to Isqhabad.Reza and Pirouz do not find Anahita in the slave markets in Isqhabad and Reza sends Pirouz back to Marv while he journey's on to Bukhara. Farhad decides to leave for Bukhara telling Maman Bozog, Mojdeh and Shirin that they will stay in Marv. However, Maman Bozog has her own plans, knowing the men will not be able to search within the women's circles of the city for Anahita.

Arash and Dariyoush unexpectedly meet up on the plains near the mountains where Arash directs Dariyoush to travel to Bukhara, while he continues onward to Samarkand. During this time Anahita and Hawk stop at a teahouse in a village on the side of the mountain. After resting and obtaining boots for Anahita, they continue their journey with Hawk revealing his name to be Taman Bas and his intention to sell Anahita to the Emir Abdullah of Bukhara. Can Arash and Anahita's family save her from such a terrible fate?

Night Letter is a thrilling sequel that vividly portrays life in early 20th century Iran while tackling the issue of slavery and trafficking. Sayres' prose manages to convey both a sense of danger and romance as Anahita faces the real threat of a forced temporary marriage, while her devoted family and her beloved fiance struggle to find and free her. Sayres uses the first person narration of Anahita alternating with the third person narratives which tell what is happening to other characters in the story as they hunt for her. Anahita's voice is realistic, alternating between courage and boldness, and overwhelming fear. At times she even begins to doubt the presence of Allah in all of her trials.

The title of the novel refers to anonymous letters that were written outlining grievances against the Persian Qajar dynasty and read in teahouses during the early 1900's. One such grievance was the selling of the women and girls of the town of Quchan when the men were unable to pay their taxes to the local governor after a drought. Sayres incorporates this tragic real life event into her novel and supplies more information about it in an author's note at the back of the book. The situation was discussed in night letters like the one Anahita wrote and resulted in debates in the Majlis, the Iranian parliament and ultimately led to the investigation and trial of those responsible.

As with the first novel, Night Letter is filled with many of the customs and traditions of Persia, especially regarding the relations between men and women and marriage. Sayres manages to convey the strong sense of family in society as both Arash and Anahita's families work together to save her. There are also several verses of the beautiful poetry of  the Persian poets, Jalaluddin Rumi, Hafiz, Rabi'a of Basra, Omar Khayyam and Mirabi of India.

Night Letter is populated with the same fascinating and beautifully crafted characters; the strong, courageous Anahita, noble Arash, the determined Dariyoush who still deeply loves Anahita, brave Pirouz, and the wise Maman Bozog. The villains, the heartless Taman Bas, Mahan who was blackmailed and soon comes to regret what he has done and the spoiled, cruel emir are equally well done, lending depth to the story.

The cover art for this novel was done by Tehran artist, Rashin Kheiriyeh and portrays a bride kidnapping.  In a note from Kheiriyeh he writes that the painting was done in the Persian miniature style which features the use of vibrant colours and oriental patterns using pencil and acrylic. There is an extensive Author's Note at the back of the novel, along with a discussion guide and an extensive glossary while the front of the novel contains a map of the region showing Anahita's journey.

Night Letter is highly recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction, especially that of the Middle East. Well written, exciting and fascinating to read!

Book Details:
Night Letter by Meghan Nuttall Sayres
Orange County: California.    Nortia Press    2012
281 pp.

Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar

Harvest of Rubies tells the story of a young Persian scribe during the Reign of King Artaxerxes. Set in 457 BC Persia the novel opens with Sarah, daughter of Simeon who is a royal scribe in the Persian court, revealing her ability to read. 

When Sarah's father and her Aunt Leah balk at her learning to read and write, Sarah's cousin Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes intervenes. "If the Lord has gifted the child, then perhaps it's because He has a plan for her life that requires such skills. And who are we to stand in the way of the Lord."

Her father sets about teaching her and eventually Sarah becomes accomplished in writing and languages. By age sixteen she can read and write Persian, Akkadian, Aramaic, and Hebrew. Sarah is driven to succeed as a way to get her father to notice her and to have some sort of relationship with him. When the prophet Nehemiah questions Sarah about her faith, she tells him that she doesn't believe God helps people. Instead she feels that people help themselves by their own efforts and that only her work makes her valuable as a person.

Eventually Sarah is recommended by Nehemiah to become Queen Damaspia's senior scribe. Although initially reluctant, because she fears that she will fail, Sarah does agree to take on the position and moves to Persepolis, capital of the Achaemenid Empire. There Sarah becomes a trusted scribe to the Queen.

One day she is summoned by Damaspia who tells her that the queen mother, Amestris has accused Damaspia's servant, Frada, of stealing. Damaspia is furious. When Sarah reads the tablet she finds evidence that things are not as they should be. She manages to convince Damaspia to allow her to try to sort out the situation. Damaspia agrees and when Sarah solves the mystery in the three days allotted to her and salvages the relationship between the king's mother and the king's wife, Damaspia decides to reward her senior scribe in a manner Sarah never dreamed.

The reward Damaspia has in mind, horrifies Sarah;  Damaspia has arranged for Sarah to marry Lord Darius, son of Lord Vivan, one of the king's cousins. Both Nehemiah and Damaspia put forth Sarah's name when Lord Vivan complained about his son's inability to find a wife. Not only will Sarah marry Lord Darius, but she will do so within the week because Lord Vivan will be departing for Ionia.

Panicked, Sarah seeks out her father and her cousin, Nehemiah, in the hope that they will be able to get her out of the marriage to Darius Passargardae but she soon learns that this will not be possible as both men sealed the contracts. Nehemiah encourages Sarah to trust God, that he has a plan for her. Instead, Sarah gives in to despair and refuses to prepare properly for her marriage.

The week before her wedding passes quickly, with Sarah continuing to refuse to prepare for the marriage. Her lack of personal care and outrageous appearance at her wedding both shock and humiliate the groom. Darius is revolted and furious and Sarah realizes too late what she has done. "The last of my defiance vanished as I realized how I had demeaned him in my foolishness. An avalanche of shame and regret covered me with such force, I almost cried out. I turned to leave, to run away from this devastating disgrace, to free Darius Passargadae from the humiliation I had brought upon him."

After spending the night together in which their marriage is not consummated and Darius is drunk, Sarah is taken before Queen Damaspia the next morning where she confesses to the Queen what happened and how her demon-like appearance was completely unintentional. The queen asks her to persevere and sends her a maid, Pari to help her and be her companion. Sarah then travels to Darius' large estate where she finally has the opportunity to speak with him and tell him what happened. Darius believes that Sarah schemed and manipulated her way into the marriage after their first encounter years earlier on the dunes outside of Persepolis. When she tries to tell him the truth, he refuses to believe her, thinking she is a liar. He tells her, "'I cannot abide liars. I do not think I can abide you. Your very presence is like a poisoned dagger pressing against my flesh.' "

And so she is left alone on Darius' estate. After wallowing in grief, depression and utter loneliness, Sarah is encouraged by Pari to get out of bed. Sarah must make a choice; wallow in her despair or try to win the heart of her husband. Will she allow her faith to sustain her and will she trust in God's plan for her life? Fearing that her behaviour might cause harm to Pari, Sarah decides to try to make the best of her situation. She soon discovers that her husband's steward, Teispes, is abusing his position and stealing from the estate, allowing it to go to ruin. She manages to build her case against Teispes, and when Darius returns, Sarah presents the situation to him. This is the beginning of their reconciliation and Sarah's realization of the true state of her relationship with God as well.

Discussion

Harvest of Rubies is another beautifully written novel by Tessa Afshar that captivates the reader both with its well crafted romance and its unique historical setting - a hallmark of Afshar's novels.

This book has plenty of biblical references and allusions to parables seamlessly woven throughout the story. When Sarah is young, Nehemiah reads one of the psalms to her and Sarah remembers learning them when her mother was alive. During Sarah's marriage to Darius, Nehemiah brings him a copy of the psalms of King David. Darius crumples the valuable gift, but later, these same psalms serve to draw Sarah back to the Lord.

When Sarah finds Bardia, the groundskeeper cutting back the grapevines until there was almost nothing left of the plant, she admonishes him to stop. But he tells her that the sweetest wine in produced when the vine suffers and that he, the gardener knows what is best for the vine. This encounter leads Sarah to reconsider her relationship with God. Was he allowing all that had happened to her; the neglect by her father, the loss of her beloved mother, the loss of her work that she held so dear, and her difficult marriage for a greater purpose?

We accompany Sarah on her journey of faith, beginning when she recognizes how she has lived her life up until her marriage. She remembered her mother's painful death and wondered at God allowing such suffering - a question many people struggle with. She struggled to earn her father's love but only received what seemed to be indifference. "At that point I stopped reciting the Scriptures and relying on the Lord. I still kept the outward form of the Law when possible, living amongst Gentiles as I was, but my heart no longer made room for God. I learned it was far better to rely on myself."

Instead of trusting God, as the prophet Nehemiah suggested, Sarah fought him and made her life more difficult. Eventually with time, Sarah comes to realize that she has been putting the Lord to the test, questioning and accusing God, instead of clinging to him. She understands that she must either unconditionally surrender to God or continue to stubbornly resist his will for her. With her arrogance and rebellion, and her need for control, Sarah had constructed walls around her heart that had kept God out.

But her lack of faith is not her only problem. Sarah's view of herself not only affects her own life but has now spread to how others view her. She believes her only value comes from her work. She tells Nehemiah to look at her, and that no man will value her, especially not a rich spoiled man like Lord Darius who will likely want only beautiful women. Sarah believes she has value only through her work as a scribe.

One of the major themes in this novel is that of reconciliation. As Sarah's relationship with God changes so does her relationship with her husband and ultimately her father. Allowing God to lead her, frees her from her fear and helps Sarah open her heart towards those in her life.

Thankfully, Afshar will continue Sarah and Darius' story in a second book that deals with Nehemiah's journey to Jerusalem. The first chapter of this novel can be found in the back of Harvest of Rubies.

Book Details:
Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar
Chicago: River North Publishers 2012
372 pp.