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 Silenced Muse: Emily Hale, T. S. Elio, and the Role of a Lifetime by Sara Fitzgerald: A Book Review

The Silenced Muse: Emily Hale, T. S. Eliot, and the Role of a Lifetime  Author: Sara Fitzgerald  Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 336 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The first full-length biography of the longtime secret love of the celebrated poet T. S. Eliot, Emily Hale, called "heartbreaking" by Publishers Weekly .        In January 2020, the largest and most eagerly awaited cache of new materials written by the Nobel-Prize-winning poet T. S. Eliot was finally opened: the 1,131 letters he sent Emily Hale, his little-known American love. But even as Eliot scholars explore Hale's impact on Eliot's work, a tantalizing question has not been fully answered: who was Emily Hale?        Sara Fitzgerald's The Silenced Muse: Emily Hale, T. S. Eliot, and the Role of a Lifetime is the first full-len...

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh: A Book Review

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea Author: Axie Oh Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Pages: 336 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enthralling feminist retelling of the classic Korean folktale "The Tale of Shim Cheong," perfect for fans of Wintersong, Uprooted, and Miyazaki’s Spirited Away .      Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.       Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village...

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the roya...