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Fiction. Romance. Christian Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML:Book 1 in the 3-book historical Christian fiction series by the New York Times bestselling author of Redeeming Love and The Masterpiece. The first book in the beloved Mark of the Lion series, A Voice in the Wind brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forget—Hadassah. While wealthy Roman citizens indulge their every whim, Jews and barbarians are bought and sold as slaves and gladiators in the bloodthirsty arena. Amid the depravity around her, a young Jewish slave girl becomes a light in the darkness. Even as she's torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, Hadassah clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of a decadent empire. Includes discussion questions suitable for individual use or group discussions "Francine unlocks the longing in each one of us to connect to God in a deeper, life-changing way. No one reading her books will ever be the same again." —Debbie Macomber "As we 'watch' Hadassah and Atretes struggle through first-century trials, we learn how to handle similar situations in the twenty-first century. The 'costumes' may vary, but our Lord does not change." —Angela Hunt "Francine redefined Christian fiction—honest, unflinching, powerful, life-changing—demonstrating why storytelling is the most effective way to communicate God's truth. Every Christian novelist writing today owes a debt of gratitude to Francine Rivers for lighting the way." —Liz Curtis Higgs "Francine Rivers writes from her heart to touch the hearts of her readers. Her books are essential reading for all who love Christian fiction." —Bodie Thoene "Francine Rivers puts readers right into the history of the moment." —Romantic Times.… (more)
User reviews
As I read this story I felt like I was actually there, experiencing the sights and sounds of the times, and the emotional ups and downs of the characters. The fact that Rivers does not shy away from the seamier side of Roman life made it all the more real, and although some readers may squirm a bit she never goes to an extreme in her descriptions of the violent or sexual escapades her characters indulge in. However, she does realistically portray some of the heart wrenching consequences of those escapades, which adds to the emotional punch of this novel. I have also had the chance to discuss it with a book discussion group and it lead to a very engaging and meaningful discussion as we talked about the characters and their choices, Hadassah's faith, and how much ancient Rome seemed a lot like our modern day U.S. society. Fans of historical fiction, faith based fiction, or just plain good writing should give this book a read!
Although Roman is tolerant of many forms of religion, Christianity is illegal. Hadassah struggles to serve her mistress while obeying her own conscious. Hadassah's mistress is an insufferable hedonist who is a poor judge of character. Following her life has the makings of a Roman soap opera, amusing, sad and at times, annoying.
Atretes trains for the arena. He is strong-bodied and strong-willed. His exploits provide a sense of the minimum value Romans of that era placed on human life. The trappings and activities of the arena are described with sufficient detail to be rated PG-13 or even a light R.
At least one reviewer faults Hadassah's character as being too morally correct and unromantic. I disagree. I found Hadassah's character simple like her unencumbered and un-institutionalized Christian beliefs - simply refreshing.
This is a very entertaining historical novel written from the perspective of a Christian author.
Published By: Tyndale House Publishers
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Blog For: GMTA
Series: Mark of the Lion #1
Review:
"A Voice in the Wind" by Francine Rivers was a mighty good read. I found it was historical, inspirational, romantic as well as christian
If you are looking for a book with a powerful story line and characters with depth, you have come to the right place for "A Voice in the Wind" would be for you and Yes, I would recommend this novel.
The story is actually
Perhaps I'm too much an idealist/romantic, but I really don't like reading a book where my mind is filled constantly with scenes of lust, anger, violence and corruption. The only way I could get to the end of the book was by serious skimming. There are two sequels to this but I couldn't face the thought of reading either of them.
Historically speaking, this book is spot-on from everything else I’ve read. Rome was an evil, evil place, and though Rivers doesn’t go into the sordid detail of it all, you know that wrong things are happening (so yes, content warning there—it almost, but didn’t quite, cross my comfortable line, but just be warned in case prostitution and things like that bother you). But seeing the good parts come to life—wow. God really does preserve His church through all kinds of things, and for that, I’m grateful!
Characters, setting, theme…all were well-done, immersing me in the story and making it quite difficult to get things done some days because I just wanted to read more! Rivers is a talented author.
Prepare to be challenged and encouraged. This is, in the end, a hopeful, deeply redemptive story…or at least, I trust it will be that way by the time I get to the end of the series. ;) I’m still mulling over several themes from this story, and expect that will continue for quite a while.
Recommended for adults: I don’t believe some content would be suitable for teenagers.