Wealth, Power, Secrets in 'The Damascus Way' (Review)
By Joy Hannabass
Guest Reviewer
*Note: This review was originally published on the Splashes of Joy blog. Joy Hannabass gave me permission to reprint her review here.
The Damascus Way begins with Julia, wealthy daughter of Jamal. She and her mother live in Tiberias in a house of wealth belonging to Jamal. Jamal is a Syria trader, owner of the caravan and the trading ground outside Tiberias, making him a man of wealth and power. Since Jamal has businesses in both Tiberias and Damascus, he travels quite a bit between the two. Even with all of their wealth, Julia and her mother are not as happy as you would think. Could this be because a secret is lurking between the two of them? Will Julia's life change forever when she finds out this secret?
Alban was the legal guardian of Jacob and his sister Abigail. They lost their parents during a caravan ride when they were both very young….so Alban rescued them from the traders. And raised them. Abigail is still mourning the death of her husband Stephen, who was killed 5 years earlier. She very much wants to stay in Jerusalem with their small daughter Dorcas where she will always be surrounded with the memories of Stephen. Though Jacob was a stubborn young man, he was one of the good guards of the caravan. Jacob was a wise and knowledgeable young man as well. He was sharp in determining the dangers they would face whether it be storms, guards, the beast of the land…..he knew what to do to make sure they were as safe as could be.
Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee who hated followers of The Way, a group that believed in the risen Messiah. Saul and his followers set out to destroy the followers of this group of Messiah believers.
I always enjoy reading fiction with characters taken from the Bible. Reading the fictional stories gives you a feel of how their lives might have been back in those times. The Damascus Way was well written, making me feel as though I was back in the times of the early church, understanding somewhat of how the early Christians felt. And the account of the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus was an added blessing.
Since I haven't read the other two books in the series, I was glad to read that The Damascus Way could be read as a standalone; though I do plan to read all three in the order they were written. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction, and especially anyone enjoying stories taken from the Bible.
