Pacific Northwest Association of Church Libraries
Metro-Portland Chapter
Tessa Afshar shares her incredible journey from growing up in a nominally Muslin family in the Middle East to becoming a beloved Christian author. Tessa opens up about overcoming rejection and self-doubt as personal scars inspire her storytelling and the healing power of writing. We also dive into the fascinating research process behind her novels. We will gather to listen to her interview with Kelly Jo Wilson about her latest book, THE QUEEN'S COOK.
Join us to listen to the interview followed by a potluck lunch and business meeting .
Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
Time: 10am -12:30pm
Location: Beaverton, OR 97006 (Hwy 26 at Murray Blvd)
Bring: Food to share for the potluck lunch. Menu TBD
Please link here to request more information: https://pnacl.org/newsite/meetings/metro-portland/
The Queen's Cook, is the first book in a series about Queen Esther's Court. In the heart of ancient Persia, the empire’s Jewish citizens face an ominous edict. Roxannah, the daughter of an impoverished Persian lord, is devastated by the news. But her father sees this decree as a stroke of good fortune, an opportunity to settle his mounting debts by killing the Jewish physician, Adin, and seizing his belongings. His plans go disastrously awry, leaving Roxannah destitute. Desperate to support her mother and settle their debts, Roxannah seeks the help of Adin to find employment in Queen Esther’s kitchens.
In the opulent palace of Susa, Roxannah strives to overcome prejudice and adversity as she ascends through the ranks in the royal kitchen. Her culinary talent and loyalty earn her the trust of Queen Esther herself, an extraordinary woman who is navigating treacherous palace politics with grace. But things get more complicated when a mysterious book and a sinister plot throw Roxannah and the palace physician together. Can they discover deadly secrets in time to save Amestris, Esther’s arch enemy? As mysteries unravel and alliances are tested, the fate of Amestris and Esther’s future hang in the balance.
Be swept away to ancient times in this captivating story of courage, sacrifice, and the unexpected bonds that form in the face of adversity.
TESSA AFSHAR's historical fiction has been on Publishers Weekly, CBA, and ECPA bestseller lists and has been translated into 12 languages. Her novel, Pearl in the Sand is the recipient of the ECPA’s Bronze Milestone Sales Award. Tessa’s books have received the Christy, INSPY, and ECPA Christian Book of the Year (Bible Study category) Awards, and are Carol, Christy, and ECPA Christian Book Award finalists.
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. In the midst of abandonment trauma and unbelievable heartbreak, God continued to pursue Tessa's heart through dreams and friends. 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. Tessa is a devoted wife, a mediocre gardener, and an enthusiastic cook of biblical recipes.
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