Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar

This story is set in Corinth and Athens in the time of Paul the Apostle.  Ariadne is a young girl with a difficult life.  She runs away from her mother and grandfather’s house in Athens to return to her father in Corinth. When she has been there for a while she discovers her father’s secret and begins to get involved in his activities.

The detail of the everyday life of the people in these two cities is exquisite. The reader feels like they are a part of this culture and daily life.  At some point in the story some of the characters convert to Christianity under Paul’s ministry and begin to turn their lives around. The theology is sound, if a stated more in modern terms to help the reader understand.  I love it when the stories in the Bible come to life and the early Christians become so much more real to us.

I have found a new favorite author and now I will pursue all the books she has written and will write in the future because I don’t want to miss any of the delicious detail.

This book was provided to me by Tyndale in exchange for a review. I am so grateful for this opportunity because it helps me discover new favorite authors and also keep up with my other favorite authors. 

More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer

This is the story of three orphans that struck out on their own in Texas after the Orphan Train they were riding on was in a terrible wreck and they were facing being sent back to the East coast since they had not been selected by any interested people along the route.  Seth, Zach and Evangeline are all grown up and established in a house / farm of their own when Logan Fowler comes looking for Zach because he believes that his family was cheated out of the farm when he was a child and his father committed suicide as a result.  Some snarky church people and some bootleggers mix things up a little bit and it makes for a very fun story.

I love how Bethany House authors seamlessly include the characters’ faith as part of the story .  Ms. Witemeyer does a great job and her characters are real and interesting.

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for a review.