MrsK Books: In The Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar

Monday, July 7, 2014

In The Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar

ISBN: 9780802410979

Net Galley Synopsis:

Two women. Alone. With no provision.

Can a woman who has lost everything, except her beloved mother, find hope in a foreign land?

Ruth leaves her home with a barren womb and an empty future, after losing her husband. She forsakes her abusive parents and follows the woman she has grown to love as a true parent, her husband's mother, Naomi.
Ruth arrives in Israel with nothing to recommend her but Naomi's, love. She is destitute, grief-stricken, and unwanted by the people of God. Her loftiest hope is to provide enough food to save Naomi and herself from starvation. She is reduced to gathering leftovers once the harvesters have finished collecting grain from the field. A job only for the lowest of the low.
But God has other plans for her life.
While everyone considers Ruth an unworthy outsider, Ruth is shocked to find the owner of the field-one of the wealthiest and most honored men of Judah-is showing her favor. Long since a widower and determined to stay that way, Boaz finds himself irresistibly drawn to the foreign woman with the dark, haunted eyes. He tells himself he is only being kind to his Cousin Naomi's chosen daughter when he goes out of his way to protect her from harm, but his heart knows better.

Obstacles. Heartache. Withered dreams.

How can God forge love, passion, and new hope between two such different people?

MrsK's Review:

The book of Ruth is one of my favorite biblical truths. Naomi is such a strong woman of God. She is kindhearted, wise, loving, compassionate, and such a positive role model. Ruth is a young woman and wife whose mother-in-law provides such love and acceptance that she wishes to follow her home to Bethlehem. Ruth is a dedicated daughter to Naomi, she is committed... with a servants heart... to live with, provide for, and walk with Naomi and her God forever. Today, those qualities are so rare. Consider this, in our past... when our daughters married... their life became focused on their husband, children, and being the helping hands for their mother-in-law. I was blessed with a mother-in-law in which I loved so dearly that I willingly did what I could for her. Unfortunately, I missed the biblical truth in being her "helping hands" on a daily basis.

The book of Ruth and Esther witness faithfulness, wisdom, love, and devotion. Tessa Afshar has presented Ruth's life with grace and enduring strength. Her re-telling is gentle, inspiring, and worthy of discussing with all women. Her characterization of Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi brings to light the depth of walking in faith. The settings are beautifully detailed. The conversations have such smooth transitions, that as a reader, you are included in their daily life as if you were in the scenes vs. being an outsider looking in.

"Ruth held the callused hand of her mother-in-law, withered before its time, withered with loss. "Let's go home, Mother. Where your husband took you as a bride and you birthed your sons. You will feel better once we are settled there."

With those loving and compassionate words, Ruth begins her new life. Their travels are difficult. Their return to Naomi's homeland has meagerly beginnings until... from their determination and faith begins paving the way for a new season of blessings, joy, and eternal truth.

Read, enjoy, and share...

MrsK

Inspiring read, one meant for sharing, discussing, and pondering.

Meet the Author:

Dear Reader,
I was born in Iran to a nominally Muslim family, and lived there for the first fourteen years of my life. When my parents divorced, I moved to England where I survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. I've always enjoyed reading, but in my teen years in England I became a true lover of fiction.
I decided to go to college in the United States, where I have lived most of my life, and have the privilege of calling this country my earthly home. My conversion to Christianity in my twenties changed the course of my life forever. But that's a story for another time...
Through all these losses and changes, God has taught me some precious truths, and this, in part, is why I write.

"I received this ebook for free from Net Galley for this review."

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MrsK's Reading Bio

Reading is important! No questions asked, not even a blink of the eye from any student I grew up with. On the first day of the First grade, we were given our first books. Day two we all read aloud, round robin of course. Day three we were place in our first basal, now known as a lit circle group. Books were so important, publishers designed new curriculum so that every student was reading by the end of the first week. These early readers had images that looked like what we could see in the classroom, beyond the classroom, even on the big screen. Reading is important, throughout history every generation has believed that “Reading” opens up the world for endless possibilities.

I adore the 1950’s Dick and Jane books. Actually, most reading specialists and experienced (45+) educators believe that every student learned to read with Dick and Jane. Since these books are being re-issued, I have heard many parents, grandparents, and students claim that Dick and Jane stories of repetition does teach students to read.

Early influences from my mother influenced my desire to read. I would watch her read and we would go on “secret” excursions to the library. The library became my playground. I owned every book I could carry home, of course they needed to be taken back to their home after visiting with me for a week or two. My first book that I could pull off of the library shelf and read was, Father Bear Comes Home. I only saw my dad on Sundays for a few hours. I would pull this beginning reader off of the library shelf every week. Every week I would try to read the first chapter. Every week I got further in the story. My mom would let me check it out, only if I could read it myself (She didn’t like the illustrations therefore she didn’t want to take time to read it to me). One day, I pulled the book from the shelf and when mom came to get me from the children’s corner, I realized that I had read the whole story. I ran to the check out desk and the Librarian KERCHUNKED the checkout card. My mother, brother and neighbors read. My teachers read. We all read aloud all day long in school. The Priest read aloud every day at mass, even in Latin. Everybody in the Doctor’s office read. People on the bus read. Dad’s waiting in their cars as the Mom’s and children grocery shopped, read. In fact, once you could read and write, Sunset Magazine considered you a reader and sent you mail every day.

Reading is important; I’ve spent my life reading. I’ve traveled around the world and into space through books. My favorite genre is whichever book I have open at the time. Children’s Literature is my passion. Book clubbing is one of the best past times, especially if food is involved. In fact my friends of old are in a book club and we are about to embark on a beach trip to “read” and discuss our newest selection.

My “home-run” book story has helped every student find his or her own “home-run” reads. Every year, I have shared my, Father Bear Comes Home, and every year my students have brought in their “home-run” books. That’s the “diving board” into our Lit. Studies.

In “Growing Up Digital,” Tapscott’s insights into the new generations enthusiasm for the Net reminded me of my generation’s enthusiasm for reading, movies, TV, parties and our driving permits. The Net-Generation, as Tapscott describes, “are learning, playing, communicating, working, creating communities, and enforcing a social transformation.”
N-Geners are interactive “techies” who are always looking for a way to “work it” verses the TV Generation of “Baby Boomers” who started out looking for “how it works.” Reading development is tougher today, society moves too fast to invest their “non-working” free time into a book or even “home work.” Since I stepped into my own classroom, I have seen students being told to read, being forced to read, and threatened into reading. Homework is not any longer the vehicle for students to gain their future lifestyles or careers with. Yet, the Internet does create an enthusiasm for learning. Since I have been enrolled in these courses, I have used the computers in every subject. My students are using the newest technology in the classroom because I am giving them investigative sites to use as they learn from each other and books. I agree with Tapscott, in order to bridge the gap with this up and coming generation we must “live and learn with them.”

FTC Required Disclaimer: I receive these books from the publishers. I did not receive monetary compensation for these reviews. These reviews have been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)