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peachykeenxyz 's review for:
Pearl in the Sand
by Tessa Afshar
I won this from a giveaway on Goodreads.
I feel that this book is very superficial. It simply was not convincing- it didn't convince me to convert to Christianity, it didn't convince me that the character had any passion or depth at all, and it didn't convince me that her life as a harlot was that bad.
Take, for example, the following quote: "Nobody knew better than Rahab the destructiveness of her profession. Nobody knew better what it did to your soul when you gave away your body without emotional attachment, without commitment, without hope of a future."
Clearly, the author doesn't know either, and doesn't even try to show Rahab's 'deep-seated unhappiness.' I don't feel any connection to the character. I don't even feel her pain. In fact, I'd even say that the character's got a good life. She seemed pretty happy as an atheist prostitute: she gains independence from her father and rest of her family, and she makes so much money that she opens a famous inn of her own. Clearly prostitution isn't so bad, as instead of just becoming an innkeeper, she continues selling her body.
But hey, I guess the author's message is that a woman cannot, should not be independent. A woman always has to have a man (the character doesn't leave her lovers, even when financially stable) and has to rely on something other than herself: whether that be man, family, or a deity. Great message, Ms Afshar. Aren't you the head of women's ministries at some church? You don't seem that supportive of women, in my opinion!
As far as the religious element goes, I think it was poorly done. Christians may not understand how badly this element was incorporated into the story, as most are ready to blindly accept it no matter what. Rahab decides to blindly believe in another culture's god simply because of rumors, after a lifetime of disowning her own. Sorry, woman, that doesn't happen. That's just your religious wet-dreaming talking.
Also, Afshar sticks in a few anti-Christianity prompts, such as when Rahab says, "a god you can't see? What would be the point? How are you supposed to believe in what your senses tell you isn't even there?" and then completely fails to counter them whatsoever. In that case, the answer was "I don't know." She also insists that the Hebrew's god is compassionate, yet his armies just go around massacring entire cities. Is this supposed to convince us that blindly following that religion is a good idea? Especially when that religion advocates lynching you and wants to kill everyone you've grown up with and know? Slow down, crazy, slow down.
I feel that this book is very superficial. It simply was not convincing- it didn't convince me to convert to Christianity, it didn't convince me that the character had any passion or depth at all, and it didn't convince me that her life as a harlot was that bad.
Take, for example, the following quote: "Nobody knew better than Rahab the destructiveness of her profession. Nobody knew better what it did to your soul when you gave away your body without emotional attachment, without commitment, without hope of a future."
Clearly, the author doesn't know either, and doesn't even try to show Rahab's 'deep-seated unhappiness.' I don't feel any connection to the character. I don't even feel her pain. In fact, I'd even say that the character's got a good life. She seemed pretty happy as an atheist prostitute: she gains independence from her father and rest of her family, and she makes so much money that she opens a famous inn of her own. Clearly prostitution isn't so bad, as instead of just becoming an innkeeper, she continues selling her body.
But hey, I guess the author's message is that a woman cannot, should not be independent. A woman always has to have a man (the character doesn't leave her lovers, even when financially stable) and has to rely on something other than herself: whether that be man, family, or a deity. Great message, Ms Afshar. Aren't you the head of women's ministries at some church? You don't seem that supportive of women, in my opinion!
As far as the religious element goes, I think it was poorly done. Christians may not understand how badly this element was incorporated into the story, as most are ready to blindly accept it no matter what. Rahab decides to blindly believe in another culture's god simply because of rumors, after a lifetime of disowning her own. Sorry, woman, that doesn't happen. That's just your religious wet-dreaming talking.
Also, Afshar sticks in a few anti-Christianity prompts, such as when Rahab says, "a god you can't see? What would be the point? How are you supposed to believe in what your senses tell you isn't even there?" and then completely fails to counter them whatsoever. In that case, the answer was "I don't know." She also insists that the Hebrew's god is compassionate, yet his armies just go around massacring entire cities. Is this supposed to convince us that blindly following that religion is a good idea? Especially when that religion advocates lynching you and wants to kill everyone you've grown up with and know? Slow down, crazy, slow down.