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.

Pearl In The Sand by Tessa Afshar

Pearl In the Sand is a wonderful historical Christian novel about Rahab, a Canaanite woman who aids the Israelites when they attack the city of Jericho.

Rahab is a 15 year old girl living with her family outside of Jericho. Her father Imri is unable to find work and there is a drought. His family is on the verge of starvation. In desperation, Imri sells Rahab into sexual slavery to Zedek for a bag full of gold. She will go live with Zedek, the goldsmith in Jericho for 3 months.

"He didn't need to finish his words. Horror seized her so tightly it nearly choked off her breath. With rising dread she realized her worst fears had come to pass. The nightmare she had dismissed as a misunderstanding the night before was real. Her father meant to sell her into prostitution. He meant to sacrifice her future, her wellbeing, her life."

After 3 months of slavery to Zedek, Rahab decides that she is a ruined woman without a life and therefore will continue in her life of prostitution. However, she decides to take only a few men as lovers over the following years and only one at a time. As time passes, we see that Rahab does not worship the gods of her people. Instead, she shudders at the sacrifice of children to Molech and the prostitution in the temples. She is revolted by Baal, Asherah and Molech. Her life of prostitution disgusts her and to such a sensitive soul, slowly destroys her self esteem and her spirit.  "There were days when she would kiss her lover good-bye, smile at him as though he were the center of her world, close the door and vomit. She hated what she did. But she did not stop. She believed she had no alternative. What else could she become after what she had been? Her life was locked into this destiny."

By the time Rahab was seventeen, she had enough silver to purchase an inn on the city wall of Jericho. The walls of Jericho were so thick that homes and businesses could be built into them. Inns during this time period were synonymous with brothels, but Rahab kept a reputable inn known for comfort and refinement where ordinary guests could rest. Rahab learns about Israel and the one true God through a lover who tells her about the recent Hebrew victories over the various cities in Canaan. When she learns of the victories of the much smaller and poorly equipped army of the Hebrews over Sihon, the great king of the Amorites and of further victories over other walled cities, she hungers to know more about them and their God. "Who is this God?", she wonders.

Gradually Rahab learns more about the Hebrew God, the Lord, who looks after slaves, the poor, and the forgotten. While Jericho quakes at the thought of the coming of the Hebrews, Rahab turns to the Lord, praying to the God of the Hebrews to give her life and to save her and her family. It is then that Rahab decides to leave her life as a harlot behind. Her choice will have incredible consequences for her and her family. When the Hebrews send spies into Jericho, Rahab takes the side of the God of the Hebrews with life altering results. She saves the spies and they in turn promise to spare her house if she hangs a red cord outside the window of her home.

When Jericho is destroyed and Rahab and her family are taken in by the Hebrews, she now faces the challenge of being accepted by them. Her previous life as a zonah however means this task will be a daunting one that may never come to be. The warrior in charge of assimilating them into the Hebrews is Salmone who wants nothing to do with Rahab. He is scandalized by her past and believes her to be insincere in her repentance. But God has other plans and Salmone soon learns otherwise.

Discussion

In Pearl In The Sand, Afshar has crafted a poignant and deeply moving fictional account of the biblical story of Rahab, the Canaanite woman who helped the Israelites take the city of Jericho. What could have been a racy read given the nature of the story is, in the hands of this competent author, a delightfully romantic and thoughtful story, that explores the issues of prejudice, forgiveness, trust, healing and acceptance.

Afshar does a wonderful job of helping her readers understand the Hebrew mindset of the time and even better demonstrates how Rahab's previous life in prostitution has so terribly affected her. Arshar explores the issues of trust and love both human and divine. Rahab must overcome the spiritual and emotional degradation she has experienced, and learn to love again. She must learn to overcome her own personal shame, to forgive and begin healing.

Both historical fiction and romance, this wonderful novel makes the biblical story of Rahab come alive. The development and growth of Rahab as a person and as woman who comes to understand that she is loved by God is captivating and enlightening. She must learn to overcome her humiliation and lack of self worth to understand that she is worthy of God's love. It is only when Rahab looses something of great value to her that she begins to understand this. It is this incident which gives the book its title.

Afshar realistically develops the relationship between Salmone and Rahab. Despite their love for one another, they also had to overcome prejudices, misunderstandings and weaknesses. These are issues all couples must deal with no matter how strong their love might be.

Christian fiction can be preachy and overdone, but Afshar finds the right tone in this novel, engaging her readers while offering them a thoughtful treatment of  forgiveness and acceptance. 

Book Details:

Pearl In The Sand by Tessa Arshar
Chicago: Moody Publishers
316 pp