Rating: 4 Stars
Published: June 1, 2021
Pages: 432
Genre: Biblical Fiction
After reading the last book by the author, I decided to go on a binge reading adventure of her books. I am still on that journey, and I would say it’s been a good ride so far.
‘Jewel of the Nile’ is an engaging story set in the times of the early church and follows Chariline, who has just discovered that her father is alive after being told by her grandparents that he was dead. She decides to go on a journey to find him and this takes her all the way to Rome, taking several risks young girls, her age wouldn’t dare. In the process, she meets Theophilus who takes it upon himself to act as a protector and introduces her to other believers (Aquila and Pricilla) who take her into their home and help her in her search. This story brings to life, how members of the early church supported each other and worked together in one accord. It also takes the reader on a time travel through the ancient kingdom of Cush, Caesarea, and the Roman empire, and paints a vivid picture of the times and culture. The main themes in this story include faith in God, courage, and love.
This also started as a slow burn for me just like my last read by the author, but it eventually picked up as soon as Chariline left the shores of Cush and embarked on her journey back to Caesarea, meeting Theophilus and escaping to Rome. There were many things I learnt from this story but the most important would be the way the author brings to light how we as Christians still carry shame from our pasts which creates a barrier in our relationship with God. Through the protagonists, we were able to see how both of them separately blamed themselves for things they had no control over, making them to never feel good enough for anyone despite their strong belief in Christ and his teachings. The story is also an example of how one thinks they are embarking on a particular journey but finds out that God takes them on a path of discovery they never expected but this builds their courage and character to his glory. It was lovely to see both Chariline and Theophilus grow in their faith and love for God and also find love and solace in each other. This is one of those stories I won’t forget in a hurry and will keep the lessons learnt tucked away somewhere in my mind.
I highly recommend this book to all Christian fiction lovers.
The Author:
Tessa Afshar’s books have been translated into 11 languages and been on Publishers Weekly and CBA bestseller lists. Her novel, Pearl in the Sand is the recipient of ECPA’s Bronze Milestone Sales Award. Tessa’s novels have won a number of awards including the Christy and INSPY and been finalists for the Carol and the ECPA Christian Book Awards. Land of Silence was chosen as one of top five Christian fiction titles of the year by Library Journal. The Way Home, God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, is the winner of the Christian Book Award in the Bible Study category.
Tessa was born in the Middle East and lived there the first fourteen years of her life before attending boarding school for girls in England. She fell in love with Jesus after moving to the United States. Tessa and her husband live in New England where they tend their mediocre garden.
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