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

Eleanor of Castile: Queen and Society in Thirteenth Century England by John Carmi Parsons: A Book Review

Eleanor of Castile: Queen and Society in Thirteenth Century England Author: John Carmi Parsons  Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan  Book Release Date: 1998 Pages: 388 Source: Personal Collection  Synopsis: Medievalist feminist studies' early concentration on the lives of prominent women has more recently given way to an interest in their less exalted sisters. Historians have seemingly avoided the careers of medieval queens, creatures of romance and legend, women who enjoyed rank and wealth merely as a consequence of birth or marriage. A renewed interest in such women has, however, followed the opening of new avenues to the study of women and power in the Middle Ages. That the lives of these women will reward reconsideration has been amply proven in the works of such historians as Pauline Stafford and Janet Nelson. Eleanor of Castile studies the wife of Edward I of England, a woman eulogized since the sixteenth century as a model of ...

The Formidable Miss Cassidy (Miss Cassidy #1) by Meihan Boey: A Book Review

The Formidable Miss Cassidy (Miss Cassidy #1) Author: Meihan Boey Genre: Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy Publisher: Harper Perennial  Book Release Date: 2025 Pages: 288 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A Scottish governess arrives in Singapore to take up her new post, only to find a host of problems await that require her very unique skills in this award-winning and incredibly entertaining historical fantasy novel.        There has never yet been a crisis that Miss Leda Cassidy hasn’t been able to fix, be it a lovelorn young charge, perpetually distracted students, or an unruly and malevolent ghost. When she arrives at her new employer’s home and discovers the family is being terrorized by a vampiric spirit, she sets about righting the situation without delay.        But it seems that as soon as she puts one supernatural creature to rest, another appears to take its...

Blog Tour: Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter: A Book Review

Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter Fairy Tale Retellings, #1 Publication Date: March 15, 2017 Genres: Historical Romance, Fairy Tale Retelling, Gothic Romance, Adult 🌹 Buy 🌹 Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA B&N Kobo iBooks 🌹 Book Blurb 🌹       Experience the world’s most enchanting and timeless love story—retold with a dark and realistic twist.      A BEAST LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF HIS PAST      Reclusive and severely scarred Prince Adam Delacroix has remained hidden inside a secluded, decrepit castle ever since he witnessed his family’s brutal massacre. Cloaked in shadow, with only the lamentations of past ghosts for company, he has abandoned all hope, allowing the world to believe he died on that tragic eve twenty-five years ago.      A BEAUTY IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER FUTURE      Caught in a fierce snowstorm, beautiful and strong-willed Isabelle ...