Broken, scarred, and empty of all but fear and sorrow, Hadassah has witnessed the destruction of her beloved Jerusalem, lost her family, her freedom, and fears for her very life. Struggling every step of the way, both physically and spiritually, she miraculously survives the journey from Palestine to Rome. But it is her arrival to Rome when the real test of faith begins.
Julia Valarian is the daughter of one of the richest merchants in the empire, yet she is unsatisfied with life. She is passionate, emotional, and selfish. She longs to be free like her brother, Marcus, and enjoy life. When Hadassah was presented to her as her personal slave, Julia was, at first, mortified. A plain, prudent Jew, as her slave, would make her the ridicule of her peers. But when life begins to change for Julia, in marriage, deaths, illness, deceit, and abandonment, her loyal servant is the one person Julia clings to. But will her distrust for others ruin her faith in the loyalty of her slave?
Marcus Valarian, Julia's older brother, loves women, social gatherings, wine, and the games. One cannot be Roman if one does not attend the games, and Marcus is Roman. His desire is to live well, become more wealthy than his father, and enjoy life for what it is: entertainment. But all of his ideals come crashing down at his feet with one person, his little sister's Jewish slave, Hadassah. When he discovers that she is not only a Jew, but a Christian, Marcus tries to save Hadassah from the fate that befalls Christians in Rome, but she does not recant. Her love for God has become her strength. Her faith has become life. God has not deserted her, and she will not deny Him. Will her God be the death of Hadassah, or will she reach the souls of this family, God has sent her to serve, in time?
Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors, and I feel that even what I have written above does NOT do her book justice! She fills the story with emotion and drama. Every time I open this book (for I've read it more than a few times) I am drawn into ancient Jerusalem, Rome, and Ephesus. The characters of this book come alive and I feel that I am a part of the story. Hadassah's struggle within herself reminds me of the spiritual struggles people endure today. Fear is the hardest thing to overcome, especially fear of the unknown. Hadassah faced her deepest fears, and God was with her. An awesome book you don't want to pass up!
