This novel is Book II from the Acts of Faith series (after The Centurion’s Wife). The story takes place in first century Judea, shortly after the death of Christ. The main character, Abigail, is a follower of “The Way” who begins to struggle with her faith as the community of believers begin to be persecuted by religious leaders and the roman conquerors. She also finds herself caught between the desires of two suitors, a Hebrew merchant and Roman soldier who both seek her hand in marriage; however, neither man is a believer of the Messiah and this adds to Abigail’s personal struggle. I enjoy reading historical/biblical fiction, I feel that the authors included enough factual information to create a credible storyline. They described the political climate of the time, the conflicts between the Romans and Zealots, as well as a background story on St. Stephen and St. Paul. I enjoyed reading the perspective of the relationships and day-to-day routines of the women in the early Church. If this type of storyline intrigues you, I would suggest reading the first book, the Centurion’s Wife, in order to get a fuller picture of the characters and cultural climate. Referring to the personal life of the early church in Jerusalen, more specifically the first chapters of the book of Acts, finishing when the persecution of christians begins, this book is the second of a series called "Acts of Faith," and the first I have read, but this does not hinder understanding of the overall story. It is just the opposite, and sometimes I would have liked to read faster than I do, as the story becomes more and more enticing with each page turned, and am just waiting for the first opportunity to buy the first book, and would not doubt to get the third one, whenever it becomes available!With twists and exchanges among Jews, Gentiles, Romans, Christians (or followers of The Way), priests, soldiers, rich and poor, the authors achieve a beautiful fictitional story of true love and hope. It is exciting to imagine how the early life of those christians might have been. The main character is Abigail, a beautiful young woman that captures the desire of two suitors; the story develops as she has to face this new circumstance in her life, and honestly tries to stay within the will of the Lord. She is in charge of the food to be served to the needy and is giving more responsibility as the book develops. She interacts a lot with Martha, who also doubles as her advisor now and then. It is easy to picture them with Mary and the other women preparing food and serving in the tables; one can see Stephen being appointed as deacon or even Peter returning after spending one night in jail and being delivered by the angel.Christians gather together for prayer, fellowship, celebrations, having meals and wondering at constant miracles; they also share everything they have, including grief and betrayal. Their daily chores are executed with such fervor and passion that invite the reader to enjoy every duty and perform it to our best, as it is the best way to serve the Lord; these come to be the best companion of frequent mentions of Christian doctrine, always emphasizing that Jesus paid it all for us to live in the faith that leads to salvation and eternal life.I do not want to spoil anything, but I would like to mention that I really enjoyed how the authors make clear that salvation and eternal life are available to anyone who would like to open their hearts to Jesus and give their lives to the Lord; the importance of studying the Scriptures and become disciples is also mentioned. It is Stephen himself who begins teaching and training someone who was initially considered alien to 'The Way."A free copy of the book was provided by Bethany House Publishing for review, but this does not bias my opinion on the book or the authors.
What do You think about The Hidden Flame (2009)?
This book moves a bit slow but once I got to the end I could not put it down!!!
—Eiyah
Loved this book. It was very well written and kept you interested.
—Juliette
A light read, not totally historically accurate, but I enjoyed it.
—nevertaco
