Remarkably, this very short read tells a weighty parable. In Caesarea, Judea, Shlomzion, a slave about to be sold to the Romans, is bought by Miriam, a wealthy Jewish woman forced by her convert husband to live as Marcia, a gentile. The two women had known each other as young observant Jewish girls. Twenty years later, while Marcia lived in luxury, her life was empty and cold. The slave, Shlomzion, however, despite suffering horrific abuse and the death of her family, was never without hope because she had the freedom to be a Jew.

This a story that could inspire debate among young teenagers or tweens, of any religion, who at that age often grapple with the question “what is freedom?”

In exchange for an honest review I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via NetGalley.

I enjoyed reading this book and I enjoy learning about historical times and about what happened in those times.

An emotional short-read that was fabulous from beginning to end. The author really brought to life the era and the characters were wonderfully drawn. This book is something very special indeed and I highly recommend it.