Tessa Afshar’s imagining of the story of Ruth reminded me of what makes Biblical fiction so powerful–and why I love it so much!
Destitute, grief-stricken, and unwanted by the people of God, Ruth arrives in Israel with nothing to recommend her but Naomi’s, love. Her loftiest hope is to provide enough food to save Naomi and herself from starvation.
But God has other plans for her life. While everyone considers Ruth an outcast, she is astounded to find one of the most honored men of Judah showing her favor. Long since a widower and determined to stay that way, Boaz is irresistibly drawn to the foreign woman with the 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.
Based on the biblical account of Ruth, In the Field of Grace is the story of a love that ultimately changes the course of Israel’s destiny and the future of the whole world.
From the prologue telling of Boaz’s heartache at the loss of his first wife, I was hooked. I even found myself in tears! Then as the story progressed to show the kind of life Ruth may have lived before marrying into Naomi’s family, it connected with my heart even further. Ruth’s relationship with her ailing grandfather struck close to home for me since it reminded me of my own Pawpaw who has Parkinson’s disease.
I LOVED how Tessa depicted Ruth’s relationship to King David and the lineage of Jesus. It’s hard to talk about this part of the book without giving #Spoilers, but suffice it to say that it is brilliant! We’ll never know, this side of Heaven, how big of an impact the real-life Ruth had on her great-grandson David, but Tessa’s version of this impact makes perfect sense. It is a possible reality that fills my heart with giddy warmth to consider!
I may have to have a conversation with Ruth in Heaven one day to find out the truth, though. 😉 And discover who really wrote her story down on paper.
While, in my opinion, this was not as smoothly written as Tessa’s more recent works, it is the eloquently presented message of this book that makes it such a gem. Thank goodness for the highlight feature on Kindle books, because it made it really easy to save the many beautiful and thought-provoking passages that I loved. Here are just a few that I bookmarked!
“If God spared us from the piercing shaft of every sorrow,” she said, “we could never fulfill His best plans for our lives. Sometimes the sweetest things in life rise up out of the worst things in life.”
In the Field of Grace, Tessa Afshar
“We travel through many wildernesses in life, be they real like Jacob’s Bethel, or wildernesses of the soul. Broken dreams, loss, grief. Sometimes there is nothing to comfort us but the hard stones of a lonely path. In those places, God seems so far away and distant. The way He does to Naomi right now. Yet, there is a ladder that touches down into the soil of our loneliest wilderness. The angels of the Lord ascend and descend upon it, and He is Himself watchful to give us aid.”
“Jacob’s ladder could be touching the soil of this very road. Where you are walking, angels might be ascending and descending. The problem is that like Jacob, most of us spend our days not knowing. The Lord is never far. It is our blindness that makes Him seem so. The veil between heaven and earth is parchment thin,”
In the Field of Grace, Tessa Afshar
“Can you not hear Him promising you, where you stay, I will stay? He is not afraid. He is not overcome by what overcomes you…”
In the Field of Grace, Tessa Afshar
“There is only one measure of true success, child. How close you remain by His side. Does the dust of His feet get on your cloak because you follow so close? Does the sound of His whisper reverberate in your ear because you have drawn so near? Are you obedient to that voice, day after day, hour after hour? That’s how I measure success. Do you understand?”
In the Field of Grace, Tessa Afshar
See what I mean? This is only four of the nineteen highlights I saved!
4.5/5 Stars for this soul-stirring Biblical fiction romance that so beautifully illustrates God’s love, mercy, and grace to His people–especially toward those of us who’ve been grafted into His story. If you enjoy the Biblical fiction genre or just need a reminder of God’s all-consuming goodness and His ability to make beauty from brokenness, life from death, In the Field of Grace is a must-read!
