Lydia's Dream

It was a bright spring morning, but something was wrong, very wrong. The day was heading for disaster – Lydia felt it in her bones...

In this re-telling of the Easter story, Don Snuggs explores the tale of the unnamed wife of Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea, who warned her husband against the execution of Jesus. “Pontius Pilate is one of the most famous names in history, but she is just reported as ‘his wife’,” the author comments.

The historical fiction casts Pilate’s wife as Lydia, who is visited by a local man in her dreams. He has been accused by his own people of crimes worthy of death, but he convinces her of his innocence in an unfamiliar voice that burns itself into her memory, warning her that disaster will surely follow if her husband is involved in his execution.

Lydia begs Pilate to avoid this man’s case, but the procurator ignores his wife’s plea and the prisoner is subsequently executed. The voice that first spoke to her on the night before the trial remains present in Lydia’s dreams throughout her long life, confronting her in all of her affairs. It is only years later, when she comes face to face with Emperor Nero, that she eventually meets the owner of the voice she has come to know so well…

Through Lydia’s eyes, one of the most famous stories in history is reinvented, with a new and intriguing perspective. “This is a story which has been told for two thousand years, and less is known about it now than when it began,” Don explains. “Lydia’s Dream will appeal to people who are interested in historical lives.”