Land of Silence

GIVEAWAY

 

AFSHAR, TESSA
LAND OF SILENCE

Before Christ called her daughter...before she stole healing by touching the hem of his garment...

Elianna is a young girl crushed by guilt. After her only brother is killed while in her care, Elianna tries to earn forgiveness by working for her father's textile trade and caring for her family. When another tragedy places Elianna in sole charge of the business, her talent for design brings enormous success, but never the absolution she longs for. As her world unravels, she breaks off her betrothal to the only man she will ever love. Then illness strikes, isolating Elianna from everyone, stripping everything she has left.

No physician can cure her. No end is in sight. Until she hears whispers of a man whose mere touch can heal. After so many years of suffering and disappointment, is it possible that one man could redeem the wounds of body, heart, and soul?

My Review:

Wow...just wow! I need to stop saying I'm not into biblical fiction because I keep finding great authors who write in this genre. Land of Silence held me spellbound. In fact it made a huge impact on me. Touched my heart in such a profound way.

Told exclusively from Elianna's point of view this story drew me in from the very first page.  Rich details bring this time period to life in vivid detail -- from everyday life and customs to the intricacies of all the aspects of the textile trade. And the way the author weaves biblical truths into the story! Yes, this is a fictional work but the spiritual elements transform this into a powerful tale of redemption and forgiveness and sacrificial love...and so much more.

I loved the notion of exploring the life of this unknown woman who has been immortalized in the pages of scripture. Afshar has created a sympathetic heroine -- courageous but vulnerable. Her struggles became my own as I lived and breathed her triumphs and disappointments right along with her. She arrives at a place of brokenness, barely clinging to hope and that's where God works his miracle. I wept when I reached that famous New Testament moment. Words spun together with such conviction it took my breath away.

Elianna's story resonated with me because I've been journeying in my own season of illness. I know her despair well. The anxiety. The frustration. Isolation and even condemnation. Which is why this novel touched me so deeply. Especially when I got to celebrate in the beauty and wisdom of lines like these:

What a peace comes at the end of surrender. What a relief there is when you stop striving against God and the world and yourself. I was the end of myself. And yet, in a strange way, I had only started the most important journey of my life. p.289

An extraordinary novel that has brought me comfort and hope.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Land of Silence please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 12 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!