by Sandy Kirby Quandt
Tessa Afshar’s well-researched Bread of Angels tells the story of Lydia, the seller of purple and Paul’s first Christian convert in Europe, as she overcomes devastating betrayal and loss to rise to a position of prominence in the male dominated Roman world of merchants in Philippi.
Afshar brings each character in Bread of Angels to life as they propel the story forward to a satisfying ending. Woven into Lydia’s story are details from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi and Luke’s account of the events in Acts. Themes of grace and forgiveness shine through the pages until the final chapter.
I highly recommend Bread of Angels for anyone looking for an intriguing read full of interesting characters who bring Lydia’s world of the early Christian church to life.