Land of Silence

“The only time Jesus addresses a woman as daughter is in the story of the woman with the issue of blood… There are no throw-away words in Jesus’s vocabulary.” -Tessa Afshar Synopsis: Elianna is the oldest child to a prominent fabric merchant in Jerusalem. Through a terrible accident, she becomes his heir when her only brother dies. Filled with grief and shame, Elianna trudges through life, being the only one in her family able to cope well enough to hold the family business together. Through the years, she handles one tormented tragedy after another. But eventually her entire life crashes down around her until solitude is her only companion. Then one day, truth and hope walk into her life. My take: I love a sad story with a beautiful ending. And Land of Silence fits perfectly! It’s unforgettable! Honestly! This story deals with a lot of heavy issues, like grief, trauma, regret, and despair. But she does a beautiful job of weaving hope into the story, as well a redemption, reconciliation, and forgiveness. I appreciate her writing about such an obscure, yet important Biblical figure. This story leaves readers with hope, just like Jesus does.

Amazing story of the woman who touches robe to be healed. Loved the gut wrenching story and the beautifully crafted compassion and grace shown in the story. This story has definitely stuck with me, and continues to help me find strength when I am in the midst of human suffering.