Was the advancement of women in architecture/civil engineering really an issue in first century Rome? Don't get me wrong, as a civil engineering student, I enjoy reading about women in STEM, but this just seems unrealistic.

Also, the narration was the strangest I have ever heard and not in a good way.

3 Stars

Content: kiss, murder plot, assassination attempts, fighting ( )

Chariline, an orphan during the Biblical time of the book of Acts, has been raised by her aunt, and knows only that her parents had a tragic love story. When she learns her father is alive, she escapes her grandfather, a Roman official in the queen’s court, and stows away on a boat to Rome, where she encounters Theo, to locate the one thing she has missed out on all her life: the love of a father. Will she find him? Will she be happy when she finds out who he is? What will happen between Chariline and Theo? ( )

I didn't love this one nearly as much as I loved "Pearl in the Sand" and I did skim the beginning a bit since I figured out part of the plot, however, I can't wait to get my hands on a paperback copy and give a full review of this different take on Biblical fiction.

18 due to content.

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
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I love reading Biblical fiction. It feels like I am doing a Bible study. Tessa Afshar is a great example of that in her novels. It is sometimes hard to think of people named in the Bible as having lives outside the pages of the Bible. This story places them in other cities besides where we are used to seeing them. Tessa has them interacting with local characters (albeit imagined characters) and makes them more human, more real, more like me. Trust in the Lord. He is with you always. ( )

Title: Jewel of the Nile
Author: Tessa Afshar
Pages: 432
Year: 2021
Publisher: Tyndale
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
The setting is ancient Cush and Rome. The author does a great job of putting the reader in the setting with her descriptive details of scenery, clothing, food, etc. I could smell the spices in the spice shop where Chariline met with her long-time friend from the queen’s court to play chess or just talk. She longs to feel loved as her grandparents, especially her grandfather, barely tolerate her. Her mother died while giving birth to Chariline and she has been told that her father is dead. However, she overhears a conversation between her grandparents that lets her know that her father is alive.
She will stop at nothing to find out who her father is and where he is. Her only clue leads her to make a decision to travel to Rome, but how? She is a young, single woman with no money. She stows away on a merchant ship of a man who dines with her family. Once discovered, she is too far from home to turn the ship around, so the captain agrees to take her to Rome.
Theo loves being at sea. His ship is his home away from home. His discovery of a young woman onboard and her quest leads him to offer to help her. She is a beautiful woman and shouldn’t be traveling or searching alone. Theo is a God follower as is Charline, and their faith in dire circumstances will be heavily relied upon as attempts are made on Chariline’s life. Who could possibly want to kill her?
This author does a wonderful job of making her characters come to life. Their emotions are easily to identify with and experience right along with the characters. This isn’t a light piece of fiction to just pass the time with. There are some heavy subjects brought up, and I enjoyed seeing how the characters reacted. Here is another interesting historical fiction novel from a fabulous author.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )