City on Fire: A Novel of Pompeii

City on Fire: A Novel of Pompeii by Tracy Higly is an exciting, empowering book for women.  Ariella has been taken captive by the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem and made a slave. As the volcano Vesuvius churns, a slave girl-turned-gladiator in Pompeii joins forces with an unlikely source to seek justice. In the coastal town of Pompeii, a new gladiator prepares to fight. But this gladiator hides a deadly secret: she’s a runaway Jewish slave girl named Ariella, disguised as a young boy. A savvy fighter, Ariella determines to triumph in the arena, knowing her life will be forfeit should anyone uncover the truth. This book is historical fiction at it’s finest! Exciting! An excellent read!

 

The Mark of the Lion Trilogy

The Mark of the Lion Trilogy by Francine Rivers is one of my all-time favorite reads of Christian fiction. Set in Rome, Italy, the story is so vivid that you are swept away

by the story of Hadassah, a Jewish slave working for a rich Roman family in the time of Rome’s decline.  The only living disciple left is John, and Christianity is a new religion hated by the Romans.  This story takes place in the time where Christians were burned at the stake or sent to the arena to be killed by lions. Hadassah struggles to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to treat her masters in a manner in keeping with His teachings, but she is forced to keep her religious identity a secret in order to survive. I love, love these books! My husband even read these books and he loved them too! These books energized my faith and courage to persevere!