Biblical times come to life in this beautifully written book about Lydia. The first to be baptized in Europe and let her home become a church, Lydia has an wonderful story. Her story as based on Acts 16 tells of her strength and courage. The techniques and knowledge it took to create the color purple was interesting. Highly recommended!

Tessa Afshar has a gift for plucking a character from the Bible - in this case, Lydia - giving them a back story, and making her readers care what happens to them. Lydia was a merchant of purple who supported Paul and Barnabas. "Bread of Angels" brings her to vibrant, purple life, and shows why we should care about her.

From her father's dye shop in Thyatira, to her own shop in Philippi, fear is Lydia's constant companion. Her mother's death, her father's unjust imprisonment, her own banishment from the property she expected to inherit only fuel the fires of her fear.

Lydia's kindness to the downtrodden brings her help in various ways. Meeting homeless Rebekah starts her on the road to knowing the Lord. With Rebekah's help and encouragement, Lydia sets up her tiny shop. Refusing all offers of partnership from larger dye houses, her honesty, fair pricing, and beautiful products gain notice throughout the city. As she continually moves up in the ranks, she also gains enemies. Will her constant fear overwhelm all of the good things happening in her life? When Lydia meets Paul and Barnabas and their entourage, she soaks up the peace they offer. As she opens her heart to the Lord Jesus Paul serves, can she also finally open her heart to love?

Every book of Tess Afshar's that I have read - including Pearl in the Sand, and In the Field of Grace - has brought the Bible to life for me. Yes, I know she takes liberties with some of the time periods, but those liberties have never detracted from pointing her readers to the One she puts her faith in. I loved Bread of Angels and wish I'd read it much sooner! I highly recommend this work of biblical fiction.

Bread of Angels tells the story of Lydia, a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, from Acts 16. Purple was a foundation of an influential trade in a Roman world around the time of Jesus — a world where men dominated, and women did not really have the possibility of succeeding with a business of their own. Lydia was a merchant’s daughter, who loved her father, their home, and making dye. A betrayal robs her of all of these, and Lydia flees to Philippi, where she struggles to build a life again. The deep hurt and fear brought on by the betrayal linger and remain a constant battle to Lydia — until she meets the apostle Paul and her life changes.

Tessa Afshar is one of my favorite authors, and I have loved all of her novels before. Bread of Angels might just be my new favorite out of all her novels. Afshar has a way of taking a character from the Bible and creating this beautiful, intriguing, amazing story around that character — a story that will stick with you for a long time. The characters have great depth into them, making it easy to relate to the story. Bread of Angels tells a story first and foremost of betrayal and fear, and how these two can keep a person captive. Yet the Lord can turn even the worst into something purposeful, and this story is a great example of that.

I loved this story about Lydia, a seller of purple. There is so much here about making purple, giving so much more insight into the world in the time of Jesus. On top of that, I loved that the apostle Paul was included and Afshar tied it all together, from the story of Lydia to the heart of Paul for the lost, and the sweet gospel telling about the work of Jesus.

I would recommend Bread of Angels to anyone who loves reading Christian fiction. Tessa Afshar has been one of my favorite authors since the time I read her first novel. She still keeps taking these characters out of the Bible and creating amazing and fascinating stories, which are full of wit, moments of chuckling, great characters, and wisdom about the Lord. This is truly a great read that I would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a book to read.

Title: Bread of Angels

Author: Tessa Afshar

Chapters: 63

Pages: 398

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Rating: 5 stars

In Bread of Angels Lydia is pretty much left with no other options other than to flee her homeland and go to Philippi. She takes her father's secret formulas for making purple dye. Along with a friend she made along the way. She struggles to set up her own business. But a female run business isn't heard of in Philippi but she is determined to make a go of it. She ends up with a wealthy female patron who gives her a loan, that Lydia ends up paying back in less than a year.
But becoming a successful business woman isn't the only thing that happens to Lydia in Philippi, she meets the apostle Paul and becomes his first European convert. Lydia holds to message of hope she gets because the days of hardships and not knowing what is going to happen is far from over.
Bread of Angels is Tessa Afshar's second trip into the New Testament with her Biblical fiction novels. Her first being Land of Silence. I recommend reading Land of Silence because characters from that first book make their way into Bread of Angels. I enjoyed Bread of Angels just like I have all of Tessa's previous novels and I look forward to the next one

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Well written and researched, I love how this book brought the Biblical time to life!

This was a powerful book. Tessa Afshar has the ability to weave entire stories out of a few lines mentioned in the bible, giving life to characters, enabling readers to identify with these characters from the bible and makes you want to read the bible.
After a great betrayal that completely turns her life around, Lydia is left with very little hope, very few earthly positions and a whole lot of fear. This book follows Lydia on her journey from the life and country she knew and loved to a whole other country and a completely different life. Along the way she meets many people, each impacting her life in the same way she impacts theirs. The Gospel is written out so clearly in this book. The miracles and the trust these characters had in God was a lesson and strengthening of my own faith. All in all it was a great book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale publishing for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lydia has always lived with fear. She fears starvation due to not enough work. She fears that her beloved father's purple selling business will receive too many orders and collapse under the strain. Most of all, she fears failure. When her father is injured, it seems that her worst fears will come to pass- until a handsome stranger steps in and offers assistance. Hope awakens, only to be brutally shattered by a betrayal so vile that Lydia may never recover.

Lydia must start over, but wicked people are everywhere. Her past may be behind her but the future does not look much better. Can she survive? Will she ever be safe again?

Tessa Afshar has written another beautiful story. Lydia is an engaging heroine. While she battles fear constantly, she also makes surprisingly courageous choices and has a biting sense of humour which makes her quite likeable. Watching her develop and change over the course of the story makes for an interesting read. Ms. Afshar also continues to do an admirable job of weaving history throughout her books. I have enjoyed Tessa Afshar as an author and found Bread of Angels, like her other books, to be a well written novel. I rate it a five out of five stars. I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishers so that I could write an unbiased review.

This was a good fiction read, but biblical details are not exactly correct. Let me get that off my chest first. It would help her story a lot if Tessa had studied a good bit of Jewish tradition and factored that in. The reason the women gathered at the riverside to worship, pray, and teaching (the Greek word means oratory), is because it takes 10 Jewish men to create a synagogue. There weren't 10 Jewish men to do that. Paul, in all his journeys, sought out the synagogue first to preach, and then took the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Philippi was a Roman outpost/colony, but it had myriad peoples there.

And it had Jewish women who worshiped God, not Roman idols, and they came together on the Sabbath day, not just any day of the week. This is where Paul went first. While it is possible that Lydia was a proselyte, I think she was actually Jewish because of the way the text reads.

Except for the few other biblical inaccuracies, the book was finely researched and well depicted. I enjoyed the fictional depiction of Lydia especially the way Tessa described life in Thyatria with the dominant Romans and Roman customs. I also appreciate the way Tessa manipulated it so a Roman woman could own and run businesses. Sadly, that isn't how it was. Female babies were often given the name Oncia (born 1st), Secundia (second born), Tertia (as you've guessed, third born) and so on down the line. Female babies were often put outside the gates of Roman cities as unwanted because they were not regarded as worthy. Although Roman women had a lot more freedom and worth than did Greek women who were considered property and were never allowed in public, in their own dining rooms when male guests were there, nor anywhere that they could be seen by any male person other than papa or husband.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review..

When I stumbled across this book on NetGalley I knew I had to request it. I hadn't read Afshar's writing before but the synopsis drew me in. The story of Lydia, the first believer on the continent, who invited Paul and Silas into her home, was a draw like no other. What I anticipated and what I read were not the same thing however. It was an engaging story that cast you into the characters but I never bonded with the characters, I never felt their hurt or fear or pain or longing or even their joy.

The story moves along well, telling the story of Lydia with her father and how she came to be in Philippi. It tells of her meeting, and subsequently rescuing Rebekah. It tells of how they met Paul and Silas and his group on the banks of the river. It tells of her salvation and the growth of the church there. The story is well told. I could picture the scenes, the people. I could smell the smells. But I couldn't feel the fear. I couldn't feel their excitement. I couldn't even feel their joy. The story read smoothly but I didn't 'feel' anything. Everything was glossed over. It was told well but it missed depth.

This is book is well told but I wish it had more. Characters I could bond with and ache with. Characters I could rejoice with and embrace. I'm glad I read it as it delved deeper (even if fictionally) into the story of Lydia and her purple dye (really purple....that almost turned me off :D) and the church of Philippi.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Set in Ancient Rome/Phillipi/Thyatira, I enjoyed reading the story of Lydia, the seller of purple. Tessa wrote a believable story using the very little written about the Phillipian convert.

I am a lover of romance fiction incorporated with biblical fiction. Tessa has always woven the two together beautifully. I was a little disappointed that Bread of Angels left out most of the romance I have come to expect from Tessa. Still a wonderful story but I had to give it 4 stars.

Women's fiction readers will definitely enjoy this read. Romance lovers, this one may be slightly lacking for your tastes.

I forgot to download my copy of this book from NetGalley before it was Archived, so purchased the audiobook.

It was a sweet story, which really brought to life a minor figure mentioned in the book of Acts and her world. Rich in details that can help shed light on the people the New Testament called the 'God Fearers': Gentiles who believed in the One God but never formally converted to Judaism. There were some excellent and well drawn-characters, and the themes were woven well into the story. I'd like to do some more research into the creation of purple dye at this time because it seems very much like how it was done in Medieval Europe (combining Woad with Madder instead of using cochineal snails).
Lydia was a woman much wronged, and in the grip of fear for much of her life. Fear of not being good enough, fear of betrayal and losing the business and reputation she'd worked so hard to build up. The story had plenty of drama and even a hint of Romance.

A couple of modern Americanisms like 'store' and 'I will write you' stood out, but they didn't detract from the story. Its' one of those stories which are reasonably faithful and authentic in the historical setting, but not so much so that it bogged the reader down, making for a relatively light, easy read.

Why the lower rating? Just a matter of personal taste. I still don't really care very much for Biblical Fiction, and I just didn't find this book as immersive as some others. I'm certainly going to be listening to the Audiobook of 'Land of Silence' soon and would look for more by this author.

I love Tessa’s books and this was no exception. Her historical details that she puts in these stories is one thing, but the life changing lessons are another.

I loved how she mentioned characters from “Land of Silence” briefly in this story as well, one of my favorite books.

I was struck again by the character of Lydia, her strength, and the fact that she was likely a single woman that ran a successful business in a time where women were not respected. You just want to read this book slowly to make the story last, while letting yourself absorb every detail of the life experiences.

As with her others, this character does not have an easy life. It is fraught with turmoil and evil people that sought to destroy and harm. I found myself, throughout the week, as I read the books, marveling at the words that kept being spoken into my life as I read, encouraging me. This book is not romance at all, but does have a brief romantic storyline.

I highly recommend you go out and buy a copy of this book as soon as you can! Buy Land of Silence too! This book was given to me for review by Netgalley and Bethany House. The opinions contained herein are my own!

Bread of Angels is a masterpiece - what can I say? This author's writing is just plain stunning. This book is about Lydia in the Bible, or shall I say, based on her. You walk with the women, and men of the Church of Phillipi in Acts, but not only them you also get to walk with Paul, Titus, Timothy and Luke. You were part of a family their Christian family. You feel like you were with her worshipping our LORD back just after he had died and the new Church had just begun being made - you feel goosebumps as if you are there and the feelings you feel, and the intense Joy as you Praise the LORD or listen to Paul, it's astonishing how this author can pull you in and make you feel such intense feelings as if you are there back in time and place with Lydia. If you EVER buy a book or value an author THIS IS IT.

Once again, Tessa Afshar has offered up a wonderful, moving novel with her latest, "Bread of Angels". Though of course I have read about Lydia in the book of Acts, I can tell you that this book will give you a whole new appreciation for the Lydia of the Bible! Afshar has appropriately taken some poetic license in fleshing out her character while staying true to the Biblical account, and she has done so in the best way possible. I can promise you that are going to immediately love Lydia and the host of supporting characters who join her, such as Paul and some fictional friends. The writing is simply excellent and the plot is paced well, such that my attention was held from beginning to end. And if you are anything like me, you are going to love getting to know Lydia in particular and watching her transformation after she loses everything when she is betrayed to her eventual encounter with the living Jesus! In the midst of Lydia's story, Afshar has woven in a battle of good versus evil, moments of supernatural miracles, and a clear presentation of the gospel message in a beautiful manner. All in all, there is much to love in this book, and it is among the best fiction books I have read this year.

"Bread of Angels" is fabulous, from start to finish. If you are one of those readers who typically steer clear of Biblical fiction, fearing that you are already much too familiar with the story to discover anything new, then let me assure you that such is not the case here. This is definitely a book you have to read! 5 out of 5 stars.

An egalley has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Tyndale, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

Bread of Angels was an interesting approach to learning more about Lydia of Thyatira from Acts 16. It is quite a long book and takes a while to build the background. I found myself glossing over the pages until I actually got to the Biblical accounts. And then the book captured more of my attention.
It was interesting learning about the culture of the day and how women who were not Roman and not married could really have a difficult time on their own. I appreciated the boldness and determined character of Lydia. She had such a wonderfully kind heart.
Bread of Angels was the third book I have read from Tessa Afshar. It wasn’t a favorite. But I loved her book Pearl in the Sand. So I still recommend this author. And I am sure there will be many who enjoy this book especially those who don’t mind a long wait to get to the actual Biblical fiction. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review
I posted this in Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

I've read all of Tessa's other Christian historical fiction books. She has a gift for taking Scripture you think you know and making it come to life. This one tells the story of Lydia. Admittedly, the author took some liberties as the story of Lydia is only a few verses in the Bible. However, doing extensive research on the cities and cultures of the day, readers always walk away feeling like it really could have happened exactly the way she told the story. At least, that's always how I feel.

Bread of Angels, by Tessa Afshar, presents the story of Lydia, seller of purple.  Scripturally the facts are few about Paul's first European convert, but the author's research enhance the little we know with logical details of what might have been.  This Lydia is strong and thoughtful, having fought against the evil deceptions of her competitors as she works and improves her father's purple dye.  Throughout, the Lord's faithfulness and mercies are evident.   I heartily recommend this book to all who enjoy historical Biblical-based fiction.

Another beautiful story by Ms Afshar....love her work. Have shared this story w/ all of my reading friends.

Lydia knows all of her father's secret recipes for making dyes, especially purple dyes. People want her recipes and make her life a misery in order to get them. When she has to leave Thyatira because of accusations against her father, she meets a young lady named Rebekah, a Jewess, who teaches her about God while Lydia teaches Rebekah about dying and weaving fabric.

When Lydia gets to Philippi, she seems to have jumped from the frying pan into the fire. There is someone who wants her formulas and is willing to spare no expense, and no length is too far to go for him. But while in Philippi, Lydia finds a patroness who champions her cause.

Tessa Afshar has raised the art of writing biblical fiction to new heights. She has taken people from the Bible who have only been given a few lines of text, and added color, dimension, and texture to their stories. She researches the culture of the era to give even more believability to her novels. Bread of Angels relates the story of Lydia, mentioned in the Bible only as a seller of purple and as a woman who prayed. Tessa takes these few lines and fleshes them out into a novel that is hard to put down (My kindle reader's battery died while I was reading it).

Five stars, two thumbs up, and some manna for a reading snack.

My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.