Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar

Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar

Purple. The foundation of an influential trade in a Roman world dominated by men. One woman rises up to take the reins of success in an incredible journey of courage, grit, and friendship. And along the way, she changes the world.

But before she was Lydia, the seller of purple, she was simply a merchant's daughter who loved three things: her father, her ancestral home, and making dye. Then unbearable betrayal robs her of nearly everything.

With only her father's secret formulas left, Lydia flees to Philippi and struggles to establish her business on her own. Determination and serendipitous acquaintances--along with her father's precious dye--help her become one of the city's preeminent merchants. But fear lingers in every shadow, until Lydia meets the apostle Paul and hears his message of hope, becoming his first European convert. Still, Lydia can't outrun her secrets forever, and when past and present collide, she must either stand firm and trust in her fledgling faith or succumb to the fear that has ruled her life.

The Family Fiction-sponsored Reader's Choice Award 2011 named Tessa Afshar New Author of the Year for her novel Pearl in the Sand. Before relocating to the United States, she was born in Iran, lived there for fourteen years, and attended an English boarding school. In her twenties, she converted to Christianity, which changed the path of her life permanently. Tessa earned her MDiv from Yale Divinity School, where she also served as cochair of the Evangelical Fellowship. Since then, she has dedicated her life to Christian service.