Review: A Voice in the Wind

Hi everyone! I haven't posted yet, because I have been incredibly busy, but I'm starting now! :)

So, I read this book called A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers for school over the summer. It was incredible. No words can describe how much I loved this book. It follows the story of a girl named Hadassah. If you are religious, she is the daughter of the dead young man Jesus saw and brought back to life for the mourning mother in the Bible. She is a Christian in Jerusalem in Roman times; the time where discovered Christians are fed to the lions in the arenas. Romans attack and destroy Jerusalem, trying to rid the place of Jews. They end up killing her mother, father, brother and sister. Her story really begins when she is sold on the slave market and bought by the Valerians as a slave for the 14 year old girl named Julia.

Another character we follow is Marcus Valerian, the son of Decimus and Phoebe Valerian who bought Hadassah. Marcus is unhappy with life. He has more than enough money to support a family and himself for a lifetime. He is always pleasing himself with wine and women. He does not have a wife or children. However, life only sates Marcus' thirst, never quenches it. Then he meets Haddassah, and everything changes for him.

We also follow the life of Atretes. He is a leader of a German tribe in these same times. He leads vicious battles against Roman forces in his area. The worst crime a German could ever commit is show cowardice, or any kind of fear. It is considered disgraceful for any soldier to be killed on his back. Atretes is captured by the Roman men and forced to take part in the games. He is forced to become a gladiator and fight to the death in the arena against other gladiators. All he wants is freedom.

All these characters are connected through this incredible story with a girl named Julia; Marcus' sister, Haddassah's master, and, at one point, Atretes' girl. I won't say any more about her, because you need to read the book. Actually, it's bookS. There is a sequel, An Echo in the Darkness, and a book after that, As Sure as the Dawn. If you read the first book, I don't care what you think or are feeling: you MUST read the second book at least. :) I will write a review for the second book, but you need to read it first, because it will otherwise give away the first book.

Happy Reading!
Jo March