In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar {Book Review}

Title: In the Field of Grace

Author: Tessa Afshar

Age: Adult

Genres: Christian, Biblical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

Publication Date: July 1, 2014

Publisher: River North

Source: eBook

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | ChristianBook | Moody Publishers 

Synopsis: 

Without wealth or family, the widow Ruth left her people and followed Naomi, her beloved Hebrew mother-in-law, to rebuild Naomi's home in Israel. Provisions gone and starvation at the door, Ruth used all that she had left--a strong back and a willing heart--to gather grain in a field, abandoned after the harvest. 

Tormented by others, Ruth is shocked to find the owner of the field watching her. Talking to her. Bringing food to her and Naomi. Boaz tells himself his kindness toward Ruth is repayment for the love she has shown to his cousin Naomi. But his heart knows better.

My Rating: 

This is my second book from Tessa Afshar and once again I am blown away by her writing and ability to bring to life the scriptures and stories of those from the Bible. Just outstanding! I love the story of Ruth and Boaz because even though at surface level it's a romance "story" it's truly so much more when picked apart and really studied. This book captured both the romance and depths of Ruth's story while adding fictional bits to bring it to life.

Ruth is a Moabite who married one of Naomi's sons. Naomi is from Bethlehem and moved to Moab with her 2 sons and husband. Devastation hits them hard when Naomi's husband and both sons die leaving her alone with nothing but her daughter-in-laws, Ruth and Orpah. One the way home Naomi tried to push them away, but only Orpah left. Ruth stayed with Naomi vowing to her and God that she'd never depart from them. The story picks up on their travels back to Bethlehem.

Starting out with Naomi -- she had a bountiful life, but when she went to Moab things changed and she felt like God punished her. She became angry, bitter and lifeless which is opposite to who she really was. She allowed her loss to take control of who she was as a child of God and lost sight of the God of all power in her life. Though it took some time, I enjoyed seeing Naomi come out of her bitterness and become the woman she used to be. It was beautiful seeing her development and change.

Ruth is a Moabite who had a tough upbringing because her family treated her like she was not important and didn't truly love her. Returning to Bethlehem with Naomi was a bit of a hard situation for her. To begin with, on her travel to Bethlehem she had a powerful encounter with God who she really did not know. I loved seeing her grow closer to Him on her journey and how much she was willing to trust Him even though she was from a pagan land. Once in Bethlehem, women treated her with contempt and she was an outcast, but that did not stop her from pushing forward. She ventured to learn how to glean so that she could provide for herself and her mother (Naomi). Ruth was a hardworking, always friendly, faithful to God and learned to pray. She had her moments of doubt and insecurity, but she never let that stop her from moving forward. Ruth was a true woman of God though she was an Israelite. She loved God and served however she could. She was humble and respectful to all. Her growth from beginning to end emotionally, mentally and spiritually was phenomenal.

Boaz is a man of wealth in many ways. The son of the famed Rahab. He had his fair share of heartache and pain with dealing with his wife's death and the loss of his children. Boaz had a lot to learn in order to find true happiness for himself. He was bogged down by the past and didn't really realize it. I loved how respectful, honorable, trustworthy, hardworking and humble Boaz was. He was a man that knew how to react without anger. I loved everything about him and seeing him break free from his own chains that kept him bondage. His growth as a man and allowing himself to love again was profound. Loved him.

The romance was absolutely beautiful! I loved how Tessa brought their romance to life. It was sweet, slow, brewed lovely and full of friendship. Seeing Boaz and Ruth start off as friends and then quickly develop feelings for one another, but at the same time thinking the other didn't want them was so awesome and frustrating. I loved that their love was pure and true. It depicted the love God has for us by giving us Jesus. Everything about this romance was perfect!

Dinah, how could I forget to mention her. She is a memorable secondary character for me after Naomi. She's the lady with the attitude that everyone can't seem to stand. The one who dislikes other women for no apparent reason. A sharp tongue. I loved her! She started off as an evil one, but as the story progressed and bits of her life was shared I fell in love with her. I loved the friendship she built with Ruth and how they became the best of friends though she was always mean to her. Dinah had a lot of growing to do emotionally and spiritually and she did so. Loved her!

The truth and bits of purity throughout this story were amazing. I cannot say ENOUGH great things about this novel. Read it. Highlight it. Mark it. Share it. You won't regret it!

Go grab a copy!