Skip to main content

Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar: A Book Review

Land of Silence
Author: Tessa Afshar
Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Release Date: 2016
Pages: 382
Source: My State Public Library

Synopsis: 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 . . . and soul?


     My Review: Land of Silence tells the story of the woman who touched Jesus' garment. Elianna has gone through a series of hardships. Her brother is dead, her father is cold to her, and her betrothal to the man she loves is broken. Yet that is not the last of her hardships. Elianna has an illness that isolated her from everyone. She has been to every capable physician but they cannot cure her. When Elianna hears about the miracles of Jesus of Nazareth, she starts to believe he could heal her body and her soul.


     Elianna was a very sympathetic protagonist. She was a woman who was plagued with guilt. Her father’s indifference to her leaves a coldness in her heart. She does not feel that she is worthy of love. Throughout the course of the novel, she learns to forgive herself and be grateful for her loved ones. She must also forgive those who have done her wrong. Therefore, I loved reading how Elianna gradually opens her heart and finds grace.


     Overall, this novel is about guilt, friendship, and love. The message of this is to love one another, including your enemy. I love all the characters in this novel, especially Joanna, Chuza, and Ethan. I did think that the villain was unnecessary in the story. Nevertheless, I was moved by Elianna’s poignant and heart-wrenching journey! Land of Silence was a very tough read! There were times I had to put the book down because of the tragedies that occurred in Elianna’s life. However, I found the ending to be very rewarding and was worth all my tears! Land of Silence was a very inspiring and moving read that will enthrall you from the first page! It is definitely a must-read for those who love Christian fiction! I have to say that this novel is one of Mrs. Afshar’s best novels that she has written! I recommend this for fans of The Woman Who Dared Touch Jesus, The Healer’s Touch, and Just One Touch


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


  Here is a video of the author talking about her book, Land of Silence:


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath...

King John's Right Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa De La Haye by Sharon Bennett Connolly: A Book Review

King John’s Right Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa De La Haye Author: Sharon Bennett Connolly Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Pen & Sword History  Release Date: 2023 Pages: 236 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In a time when men fought and women stayed home, Nicholaa de la Haye held Lincoln Castle against all-comers. Not once, but three times, earning herself the ironic praise that she acted ‘manfully’.      Nicholaa gained prominence in the First Baron’s War, the civil war that followed the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215. Although recently widowed, and in her 60s, in 1217 Nicholaa endured a siege that lasted over three months, resisting the English rebel barons and their French allies. The siege ended in the battle known as the Lincoln Fair, when 70-year-old William Marshal, the Greatest Knight in Christendom, spurred on by the chivalrous need to rescue a lady in distress, came to Nicholaa’s aid. ...

King Alfred's Daughter: The Remarkable Story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, the Heroine who Written out of History by David Stokes: A Book Review

King Alfred’s Daughter: The Remarkable Story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, the Heroine who was Written out of History Author: David Stokes Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: The Book Guild Publication Date: 2023 Pages: 348 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: King Alfred is dead and the achievements that made him great are in jeopardy. Rebels challenge the succession of his son Edward to the Wessex throne, and his old ally in Mercia is sick. The Vikings in the Danelaw sense the time has come to complete their conquest of England.       It falls on Alfred’s firstborn, his daughter, Æthelflæd, to unite the Anglo-Saxons. Reluctantly, she takes up the challenge. But can a woman rebuild ruined towns and lead men into battle against hardened Viking warriors? And can Æthelflæd fulfil her father’s dream of uniting England?       Based on contemporary sources and archaeological evidence, King...