Texan native Pearl Benton arrives in Australia expecting to vacation with her family, but instead, she's carried by a wormhole to Roman-ruled Egypt. Kidnapped, made a slave--Pearl doesn't understand why God abandoned her to such a horrible existence. Another time traveler works for her master, and the chance of finding the wormhole that robbed them both of normal, just might be worth putting up with his incessant teasing. Might. An Aussie stockman turned fleet helmsman, Trey Bradley has spent years building a life for himself in Alexandria. When his boss decides to use Pearl as a bargaining tool in a summons with the Emperor Nero, he asks Trey to accompany them as her translator. Trey wants to help Pearl escape as he's helped countless others, but God says "no". How can he help deliver Pearl to Nero and live with himself? Can that truly be what God wants? As they journey to Rome, Pearl and Trey struggle to set aside their ambitions and choose God's will above their own, even at the cost of life and love.
A typical love hate romance. The story does have a good Christian witness. The story mentions that one of the main characters operates an underground railroad to help slaves escape, I would liked more of the story to be about that. It is not explained why that character did not raid the Valley of the Kings to loot King Tut's Tomb to finance the slave rescue or why he did not "invent" gunpower, the telescope or moveable type. The term far dinghum was not mentioned in the glossary of Australian term in the back of the book.
I really enjoyed this time travel story. The author provides great historical detail and sensory descriptions that allows the reader to experience Egypt and Rome of the Roman Empire in the 1st century. Initially, I did not care for Pearl. Without giving any plot-spoilers, the reader is able to watch Pearl's spiritual growth as she seeks God's will and purpose for her life in this dangerous time for Christians. Where I did not care for Pearl, I really like Trey. Pearl meets Trey when she first makes the journey back in time to the 1st century. He has a strong relationship with God, strong integrity, brave and good-looking. G.L. Curry also gives us fleshed out secondary characters in Tuscus and Jice. This is a story, full of adventure and a little bit of romance as well. It also challenges the reader. I found myself wondering if I would have been as strong, making similar decisions if I was placed in a similar situation.
A time travel where I felt immersed in the culture & the shock of being dumped in a time so different from my own!
A riveting read! I've never read a time travel where I felt so immersed in the culture & the shock of being so unceremoniously dumped into a time so vastly different from my own. Pearl was so fortunate to have been given a confidant & protector like Trey. She desperately needed his help. Have to love the Christian character, trust & confidence as she surrenders control over her life to the Lord! They are faced with situation changes fast enough to give a person whip lash. The author did enough research to let you walk away feeling better acquainted with the time period. A book that i am going to have to read again.
LOVED this story!!!! Time travel fantasies aren't my normal fare, but the historical authenticity in Curry's tale absolutely sucked me in. I was right there with Pearl, seeing the ancient Roman world through her eyes and experiencing all its surprises and horrors right along with her. And Trey? Yummy!!! The physical, metaphysical, and spiritual journeys these characters experience make for a riveting book I could not put down! Highly recommend!!!!!
A beautiful story that left me in tears more than once. Such a great reminder of the sacrifice of Christ for our sins and our reasonable service to live for him! Loved it!
This title is perfect. It follows what Jesus would do for one of us and what He wants us to do for others. In 64 AD, Julia was sent to Rome’s Circus of Nero because of her faith in Jesus Christ. 2007, 19-year-old Pearl and her dad go to Australia to visit her brother Jeb. While there she becomes entangled in a watery vortex and is transported back to the time of Roman rule. This is a wonderfully well written story. There is a powerful message about faith, trust and obedience. It is not preachy in the least, but very realistic. I highly recommend this book. I would love to read more from this author. Oh and at the end are glossaries for: Ancient Greek, Latin and Australian Strine. These were helpful with words I didn’t know. A powerful lot of excellent history surrounded by the beautiful story of Pearl and Trey.
WHAT a great book! I was truly amazed at the attention to detail Curry writes with; the reader can tangibly smell, hear and experience everything Pearl is going through and you desperately want to see her get through the plot unscathed! Trey is a great hero balanced with worthy character qualities but also with flaws, but his faith and determination to help Pearl make him a perfect match for her. The historical setting and modern references make this book so much fun and I just had to see what happened with Pearl and Trey.
Couldn't stand Caroline, the surprise sister-in-law with a twist, but loved how Pearl forgave her. Also, Tuscus was a great character to read about going from coward to hero. And the surprise from Jice at the end was such a perfect ending. Pearl starts out as kind of a brat, which is understandable in her situation, but learns to trust God with all her heart and the lessons she learns along the way are priceless.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for fans of Michelle Griep and Lisa Bergren or ANY time travel author that brings history to life in a fantastic way!! Time travel, history, romance, and forgiveness.....Curry packs a punch with her debut novel :)