Happy Friday everyone! You know what that means…it’s time for First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books. Grab the book nearest to you and share the first line!
Today we are featuring the first line of Jewel of the Nile by award-winning biblical and historical fiction author Tessa Afshar, which releases on June 8th. The novel takes place in the Kingdom of Cush, located in modern-day Sudan.
In her author notes, Tessa Afshar stated that she got the idea for writing this novel after receiving an email from an African American young woman who loved Ms. Afshar’s books, but wondered if she ever planned to have a character who looked like her.
Tessa Afshar has a remarkable way of bringing Scripture to life in her novels. If you haven’t read any of Tessa Afshar’s novels yet, this is the perfect opportunity!
and the first line is…
AD 31
“He took one last aching look outside the crumbling window; the Nile was molten gold in the light of the rising sun, a sparkling coil winding its way into the horizon.”
ABOUT THE BOOK
Whispered secrets about her parents’ past take on new urgency for Chariline as she pays one last visit to the land of her forefathers, the ancient kingdom of Cush.
Raised as an orphan by her aunt, Chariline has only been told a few pieces of her parents’ tragic love story. Her beautiful dark skin is proof that her father was Cushite, but she knows nothing else. While visiting her grandfather before his retirement as the Roman official in the queen’s court, Chariline overhears that her father is still alive, and discovering his identity becomes her obsession. Both her grandfather and the queen have reasons for keeping this secret, however, and forbid her quest. So when her only clues lead to Rome, Chariline sneaks on the ship of a merchant trusted by friends.
Theo is shocked to discover a stowaway on board his vessel and determines to be rid of her as soon as possible. But drawn in by Chariline’s story, he feels honor-bound to see her safely to shore, especially when it appears someone may be willing to kill for the truth she seeks.
In this transformative tale of historical fiction, bestselling author Tessa Afshar brings to life the kingdom of Cush and the Roman Empire, introducing readers to a fascinating world filled with gripping adventure, touching romance, and a host of lovable characters—including some they may recognize from the biblical book of Acts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tessa Afshar is the bestselling author of biblical and inspirational historical fiction, including Land of Silence, which won an INSPY Award and was voted by Library Journal as one of the top five Christian fiction titles of 2016, and Harvest of Gold, which won a Christy Award in the Historical Romance category.
Harvest of Rubies was a finalist for the 2013 ECPA Christian Book Award for fiction.
In 2011, after publishing her first novel, Pearl in the Sand, Tessa was named New Author of the Year by the FamilyFiction-sponsored Reader’s Choice Awards.
Tessa’s first book-length Bible study, The Way Home: God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, based on the book of Ruth, was released in June, 2020, alongside optional videos of the same title. The Way Home was chosen by Moody Radio SFL for their summer of 2020 book study.
Tessa was born in the Middle East and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She then moved to England, where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently.
Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds a Master of Divinity from Yale, where she was elected as the co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School for one year.
She served in women and prayer ministries for twenty years before becoming a full-time writer and speaker.
Tessa is a devoted wife, an enthusiastic cook, and a mediocre gardener. But that has not cured her from being exceptionally fond of chocolate.
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Let us know the first line of the book closest to you & then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!
Diversity Between the Pages 