Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar

"Harvest of Rubies" by Tessa Afshar is the story of Sarah, a young Jewish woman, who becomes an accomplished scribe to gain the approval of her father.  The tale is set during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia where it is highly unusual for women to be able to read, lest write and keep accounting records.

Sarah becomes the senior scribe for Queen Damaspia, where she is able to foil a plot designed to completely erode the already strained relationship between the Queen and Amestris, the Queen Mother.  As her "reward", Sarah is given in marriage to a young lord, Darius, who has no desire to be with his new bride as a result how she "presents" herself at the wedding ceremony.

Of course, Darius does not remain indifferent to his bride, but if I told you more about this story, you wouldn't have to read it yourself!

I thought this was a truly enjoyable story.  There were so many times that I could really "feel" Sarah's gut-wrenching embarrassment and her pain of feeling unworthy and unloved.  The beauty of the book is Sarah's growing relationship with God, and how He was able to fill the void in her heart which allowed her to love and to be lovable.

This book was great and I could hardly put it down.  If you enjoy historical fiction, I would highly encourage you to pick up a copy for yourself.  I myself can hardly wait to read more from Ms. Afshar.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.