The Damascus Way

Starred review from November 15, 2010
Before Paul has his epiphany on the road to Damascus, he obsessively leads a seek-and-destroy mission against the early Christians as Saul of Tarsus, and his name alone instills fear in the hearts of even the most stalwart believers. No one knows this better than Julia and Jacob. Julia is the indulged daughter of a wealthy merchant. She wishes for more time with her traveling father, until she makes a life-changing discovery: she and her mother are his second family, not his real one, and her parents arent even married. Shattered, she finds hope, as well as a new faith. Jacob, a Christian, has been hired by Julias father to guard his caravan. Jacob and Julia are both secret messengers between scattered believers, though neither knows the other is. Its a dangerous life. Jacob and Julia are attracted to one another, but trust is a major issue. A new underground religion, killer sandstorms, bandits, murderers, and zealous vigilantes make for exciting reading. This book completes the Acts of Faith trilogy begun in The Centurions Wife (2008) and continued in The Hidden Flame (2009)an excellent set for every inspirational fiction collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)