The centurion's wife (Acts of Faith #1)(large print)

Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist's perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity...and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma. Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first-century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil--facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions. Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death--and missing body--is causing such furor. This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, The Centurion's Wife unfolds the testing of loyalties--between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter. Mediterranean breezes caressed her, and Leah could not help but pause between kitchen and bath house. She lifted her face to the cry of the sea birds and the few clouds overhead. Sea waves lapped gently along the promontory's edge. Not even the first stirrings within the palace compound behind her could wipe out her sense of peace. Leah finally turned toward the elaborate courtyard with its columns and statuary, the opulent ceramic-tiled baths, and the impressive marbled facade of the palace. No childhood drams had ever included residing in the palace of the Prelate of Palestine. In different circumstances, Leah would have found it all impossibly beautiful. In different circumstances...Leah sighed and turned away. The reality was that she was here because she had no other recourse. Far to the northwest lay her home. True, it was no longer her home, but it still held her heart. There her mother faced a new dawn also, alone. Leah yearned to be with her, giving what love and comfort she was able. But trapped within this imposing palace, she was surrounded by elegance she could appreciate only from a distance. Yes, even though she had been born to wealth, to position, here she was little more than a slave. Bitterness filled her throat and caught her breath. She pushed the dark thoughts aside, cast one more longing look over the wide expanse of sea, and with a determined lift of her shoulders walked on toward the bath house. Her first of many duties for the day would have her laying out fresh towels and robes.. Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist's perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity. . .and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma. Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of firstcentury Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoilfacing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions. Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose deathand missing bodyis causing such furor. This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, The Centurion's Wife unfolds the testing of loyaltiesbetween two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter. A sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity--
and the very personal story of Leah,
compelled into a betrothal she never wanted,
drawn by a faith she never expected...

When her family's wealth and power are lost forever, Leah is sent to Pontius Pilate in hopes that he might arrange a strategic marriage. But despite her betrothed's striking countenance and position, Leah deems life as a centurion's wife a fate worse than death.

Head of the garrison near Galilee, Alban has ambitions that could one day see him at the seat of power--in Rome itself. Eager to prove himself, he takes on the assignment of a lifetime, one that will put his career, his beliefs, and his very life at risk.

But when the death--and missing body--of an obscure rabbi find Leah and Alban searching for the same answers, what they discover changes everything.

Leah, A Young Jewess Of Mixed Heritage, Is Secretly Commissioned To Discover The Truth Behind The Death Of An Obscure Rabbi In The Roman Backwater Of First-century Palestine While Also Being Engulfed In Her Own Turmoil--facing The Prospect Of An Arranged Marriage To A Roman Soldier, Alban, Who Seems To Care For Nothing But His Own Ambitions As Leader Of The Roman Garrison Near Galilee. Davis Bunn & Janette Oke.