About this audiobook
Miriam's life unfolds within a world divided by political authority, religious commitment and the approaching conflict between Rome and Judaea. Her relationships with Marcus, a Roman officer, and Caleb give private feeling a place within those wider tensions. What each person expects from affection is shaped by loyalties that do not readily fit together.
H. Rider Haggard connects the suspense of a historical adventure with questions about faith and the ability to choose one's own future. The upheaval surrounding Jerusalem changes the conditions under which promises can be kept. Differences of power and belief complicate the intentions of people who may regard themselves as acting faithfully.
The novel explores endurance, conviction and the uncertain boundary between devotion and possession. Its movement through danger and changing circumstances invites readers to consider how an individual relationship can retain meaning when public conflict makes ordinary security impossible, and when other people claim the right to decide what loyalty should require.
