Julia Collins '26
Hello again, dear readers!
This semester, my idea was to read some of the books from the Houghton Library and review them!
My first book that I’ll be reviewing is “A Voice in the Wind” by Francine Rivers. This book is an older one, but it has a good message and a bit of a historical background on the early Christians.
“A Voice in the Wind” is the first of three books set in the decades following Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection. The story starts in Jerusalem, with a girl named Hadassah. Hadassah’s entire family have been killed by the persecution from the Romans, and Hadassah is expected to die as well. Yet, she survives, and is then sent to Rome to be a slave.
In Rome, a slave named Enoch convinces his master, Decimus Valerian, to buy seven jewish slaves, including Hadassah. Decimus doesn’t want to do this, but his wife, Phoebe, has pity for Hadassah, knowing she will suffer more if they do not take her. So, Decimus and Phoebe decide that Hadassah will be the servant of their teenage daughter, Julia.
Julia quickly realizes that she can trust Hadassah, who is kind and gentle to her. But Julia makes many bad decisions, and Hadassah has to suffer for Julia’s mistakes. While all of this is going on, Julia’s brother, Marcus, finds himself attracted to Hadassah. He sees that Hadassah is a good servant, and that she has something that everyone around him didn’t have- a faith in a loving God. Throughout the story, Marcus is torn between loving Hadassah, and loving the sinful culture of Rome. Hadassah, meanwhile, tries to teach the Valerian family about Jesus, and his love for them. At the end of the book, the reader will find out if she succeeds, or if the Valerian’s will reject her and her faith. ★