Petra

Wow...this novel was amazing. I haven't read a novel that gave me chills, since I read Francine Rivers Mark of the Lion series. The power of God's love shone through this book and the author really captured the spiritual warfare within the church.

Again, T.L. Higley has written a beautiful historical novel.  From the Siq, the narrow entrance into the city, to the carved walls of the buildings, she brings you into this city of stone. After reading Pompeii, ( Pompeii ) I wasn't sure if this book would stand up to it, well it does! I think I was moved by it even more.

In the novel Cassia is an abused wife in Damascus who finally escapes with her son and travels to Petra to find her husbands family, hoping to find refuge. Julian is a Roman Christian who witnesses something so disturbing he flees to Petra to forget. Once there, they both met up with the followers of the Way and are blessed and encouraged. But when Cassia finds her husbands family, things change. They are not who she thought they would be and her son is put in danger.

The spiritual struggle in this novel was powerful and made me think about how important our prayers are to the One True God. As Oswald Chambers said here:

"Prayer does not equip us for greater works...prayer is the greater work."

The power of God's love is also expressed fully within this book. His love for us is often loosely spoken of, but when you actually experience it, it's amazing. 

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5
  
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" Colossians 1:13

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:39

I highly recommend this book, but be ready to be stirred to prayer and to literally feel the love of God.

On the authors website she has some fact and fiction about this book that I found interesting and which brought the book to life even more...Fact and Fiction in Petra

I'm so looking forward to reading more soul stirring novels from T. L. Higley!