'A Voice In The Wind' by Francine Rivers

Have you ever truly pondered what life was like for the earliest Christians? Wondered wjat spreading the message of Jesus would be like to a brutal culture that would as soon kill you as look at you? This book, set in the time frame of about seventy years after the death of Christ, transports you right into the middle of that time period. Hadassah, a young Christian girl, is sold into slavery and thrust into the wild life of ancient Rome. She struggles to live out her faith in Jesus Christ in the midst of a culture where anything goes, and self-gratification is the god of the people.

I will begin by saying this is my absolute favorite book. This book is the first in a three part series entitled 'The Mark of the Lion'. From the second you pick up the book, it snatches your heart and doesn't let go. I wouldn't recommend this book for young readers, as the author holds nothing back in portraying the intense persecution that early Christians endured. The book is very graphic and violent, but so were the times. Hadassah shows us what it is like to truly live out your faith, as she serves as a slave in a Roman household.

This book will make you shudder, cry, shout for joy, and weep in empathy. I couldn't put it down, and never wanted it to end. Thank goodness there is a sequel! As I walked with Hadassah through the pages of this novel, my own faith was challenged and deepened. Would I have the courage to stand against the tide of evil with gentleness and humility as she did?

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. I could not even begin to count the books that I have read over my lifetime, so to call this one my favorite is the highest honor. The characters in this book are so well developed, I found myself thinking about them long after the book was over. Go read it. It will make the struggles we deal with everyday pale in comparison, and strengthen your faith.