Book Review: Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar

Summary: 

The scribe Sarah married Darius, and at times she feels as if she has married the Persian aristocracy, too. There is another point she did not count on in her marriage-Sarah has grown to love her husband. Sarah has wealth, property, honor, and power, but her husband's love still seems unattainable.

Although his mother was an Israelite, Darius remains skeptical that his Jewish wife is the right choice for him, particularly when she conspires with her cousin Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Ordered to assist in the effort, the couple begins a journey to the homeland of his mother's people. Will the road filled with danger, conflict, and surprising memories, help Darius to see the hand of God at work in his life-and even in his marriage?

A hidden message, treachery, opposition, and a God-given success, will lead to an unlikely bounty.

Release Date: June 17, 2013

Age Group:  Adult

Source: NetGalley

Review:
I loved Tessa Afshar's Harvest of Rubies (read my review here) and was so excited to read more of Sarah and Darius' story.  I'm happy to say that Harvest of Gold was every bit as good as Harvest of Rubies.  

I love Tessa Afshar's writing.  I find it to be engaging, well-paced, emotional and inspirational.  Her books never fail to move me to tears, and Harvest of Gold was no exception.

Darius and Sarah are married, but he has not told her that he loves her.  In fact, he is hot and cold with her, pushing her away much of the time, then letting his true feelings show at other times.  I hated that for Sarah: I wanted her to feel loved and accepted by her husband.  Much of Sarah's struggle was based on feeling God's love in the absence of her husband's love. 

I felt that Harvest of Gold was just as much Darius' story as it was Sarah's.  Darius changes a lot during this book, and his journey to faith as well as his acceptance of his difficult childhood provided for a lot of character growth.  The emphasis on parenting in Harvest of Gold really touched my heart.  Now that I am a parent, I find myself drawn to characters going through trying parenting experiences.

I enjoyed reading about the rebuilding of Jerusalem.  It made the book feel very authentic, and while I know that Afshar writes fiction, knowing that her books are based on Biblical events makes them feel slightly educational (and I like that).  

I highly recommend Tessa Afshar's books.  She consistently writes outstanding Christian fiction, and I have given her books as gifts and recommended them many times.