Harvest Of Rubies

The prophet Nehemiah's cousin can speak numerous languages, keep complex accounts, write on rolls of parchment and tablets of clay, and solve great mysteries. There is only one slight problem: she is a woman. In her early childhood years, Sarah experienced the death of her mother and her father's subsequent emotional distance and she came to two conclusions: that God does not care about her, and that her accomplishments are the measure of her worth - the measure of her self. Sarah, the talented scribe, the cousin to Nehemiah, is catapulted into the center of the Persian court, working too many hours, rubbing elbows with royalty, and solving intrigues for the Queen. Ironically, it isn't failure but success that causes Sarah to be dismissed from her post. As a result she loses her only source of external validation in exchange for a barren marriage to the nephew of the Queen. Life becomes unbearable attached to a man she humiliated on their wedding day, a man who married her out of obligation, a man she believes cannot possibly ever want her as a wife. In the absence of her husband, Sarah discovers irregularities in the running of Darius's estates. As a result, she finds herself and the household staff in grave danger. Through her story Sarah learns that she has something of worth to offer beyond her ability with languages and sums. Her very being proves to be a blessing to others.