Twice Freed

by Patricia St. John

Onesimus is a slave. Eirene is a rich merchant's daughter. Onesimus longs to gain his freedom and Eirene's love. However, he doesn't realize where true freedom lies. He wants nothing to do with Jesus Christ. His master, Philemon, may follow the teachings of the Christ and his apostle Paul... but Onesimus has other plans.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Childrens

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Patricia Mary St. John spent 27 years as a dedicated missionary to North Africa - and was also a prolific children's writer. Her books are loved and treasured around the world; some have been turned into stirring films. Gripping adventures which cover real life issues are her hallmark.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an amazing book! I highly recommend it! While it is a historical fictions children's novel, it has so much worth to readers of all ages. St. John gives a fictional account of Onesimus, Philemon's slave spoken of by Paul in his letter to Philemon. The author does an amazingly accurate job of presenting the places and events of this time period as they are accounted for in other passages of Scripture and historical background books. After reading this, I had a better understanding of Paul's ministry and what/why he addresses the church in Corinth on such issues as idol worshipping, false teaching, etc. St. John's theology of fallen man and his bondage to sin, the hope and salvation offered in Jesus Christ, and the importance of forgiveness is seen throughout this book. A very pleasant find!

[Joanna Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Patricia St. John, but this book is icky on so many levels. It was included with our homeschool curriculum, and this is the first time to date that I quit reading a book to my kids right in the middle. I finished it myself and may read them the last chapter.

1. Super weird fixation on girl's looks. Called a pre-adolescent girl slender multiple times. The author has a young boy describe a young girl: "it was because of her young slender body, held so proudly, that he had known that life and youth were glorious as he swam in the sea..."

2. Lots of problematic moments related to slavery. Philemon's son Archippus falsely accuses Onesimus of stealing and he is nearly beaten to death. When Archippus becomes a Christian, he confesses to his father and asks forgiveness for that. Onesimus is present at this scene he is never addressed in the apology at all. Philemon tells his son that all is forgiven, and also never addresses the fact that he nearly killed the enslaved Onesimus. The text never mentions this at all, but points out that Onesimus did not forgive Archippus.
In another scene, the enslaver's son scolds Onesimus "I wish you were a Christian, and then you would understand and pray for me instead of hating me when I'm hard and unkind". Later, Onesimus mentions that he hates being enslaved, the author gives this gem of advice through the mouth of the enslaver: " I think it would not matter so much if you were a Christian. Aquila used to say that in Christ there was neither bond or free. He taught us to bear Christ's yoke with meekness and be content with our lot." Seemingly, the enslaver doesn't see the irony that he is actively perpetuating what he is saying Christ abolished.
In another weird section, the book insinuates that the power imbalance in the relationship is in favor of Onesimus because although he was "soft-spoken, obedient, irreproachable in his duty", Archippus wanted them to be friends, and Onesimus denied him this. Onesimus is depicted as the one one in the wrong for withholding friendship from his owner. The narrator says that he "hurt Archippus intolerably by the way he kept him and his sympathy at arm's length". Never once is there any discussion of why the enslavers (who are depicted kind and wanting his best) continue to enslave him when he repeatedly said that he hated it. When Onesimus escapes, he (predictably) bemoans how much harder life is now as he sees "a happy slave" working beside the road.

3. Historically questionable descriptions of self-defense. St John puts staves in the hands of the apostles to protect themselves and when they are caught in a riot she has them giving " a blow here and a well aimed kick there".

4. Also I think this book had more adjectives than any I've ever read. The paragraphs of flowery descriptions were exhausting.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book weaves a fictional story around the slave Onesimus, his master Philemon, and the apostle Paul. It is crammed with wonderful historical details about live in the Roman Empire for slaves and free, for Christians and Jews and nonbelievers. I just ate all that historicity up with a spoon, I tell you.

While this book doesn't shy away from the cruel reality of slavery, it doesn't fixate on that either, but treats it in what I feel is age-appropriate for its middle-grade audience. I'll definitely be encouraging my kids to read this, and possibly even incorporating it into our world history curriculum.

[Paige Cuthbertson| Turning_Every_Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved everything about this book! The descriptions of places and landscapes were vivid but not pointless and drawn out; there was romance, but it wasn't the main storyline, and it was pure; the author was honest yet discreet about the descriptions of pagan worship; the characters were well developed; the storyline kept me wanting more; her version of events was not unbiblical, so her creative license dos not get out of hand... it was wonderful! Highly recommend for both children and adults. The love of God, as well as His mercy and truth and forgiveness are all depicted so well in a poignant message; and the adventure of the story is historically accurate and so exciting!

[Heather Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT was the deal with the children at the end? They just came out of nowhere and were totally unexplained, creating a bunch of unanswered questions.

I loved how, for being bib-fic, it pretty much quoted Paul and saying words he actually wrote instead of putting words in his mouth.

We really enjoyed it.

[Jessica Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice Freed is the story of a young slave boy living during Ancient Rome. Struggling with his hate and fear, he runs away to find a new life. Along the way circumstances fall into place which show him what, or who, he really needs to be free: Christ.

This book is wonderful. Based around the book of Philimon, Patricia St. John forms a story which makes you cry and laugh, while you, along with the whole host of characters, struggle to find the true answer of love despite life's suffering. Even if you are not normally into Roman historical fiction, you will still love this book. If you have not read it already you need to. =D

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This just wasn't as good as the other things I've read by this author. It was disjointed and just not for me.

[Lydia Lobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint is that it ended too quickly. I wanted to read more! 😂 Such a wonderful story. Every time I read Philemon I'm going to think of it now.

[The Mines of Moriah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another childhood favorite.☺️ The main theme of this book is forgiveness. It accurately depicts the difficulty and rewards of letting go of the wrongs done against us. Twice Freed is an emotional rollercoaster and well worth it.

[Bonnie Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely historical-Biblical fiction tale about the slave Onesimus. The ending brought me to tears. Great for tweens and teens.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twice Freed is a fictionalized account of Onesimus, Philemon's slave who ends up meeting Paul and becoming a Christian. The kids and I read it together and enjoyed it very much. St. John did good research to write this book (both biblical and historical) and has done a nice job filling out the life of Onesimus. At times the book feels a little bit preachy, and yet at the same time, Onesimus' conversion to Christianity (as well as the conversion of Philemon and Archippus) are key to the story, so the longer dialogues about Christianity are not extraneous to the plot at all. When possible, St. John quotes from Paul's epistles during these discussions. The book is also nice because it introduces the reader to a lot of folks mentioned in the New Testament, especially Acts. We're reading through the book of Acts in church, so Twice Freed will help the kids recognize names.
When we finished the book I read Philemon to the kids. It was amazing how well they understood it after reading Twice Freed. It's my experience that many evangelical readers tend to over-spiritualize Philemon, rather than taking Paul's exhortations to Philemon as very earthy and practical ramifications of the gospel. After reading Twice Freed, the kids seemed to understand quite easily that Paul was asking/commanding Philemon to free Onesimus and to treat him just as he would treat Paul himself. After we read Philemon Eden said, "Wait, are you telling me that what you just read is the actual letter that Paul sent to Philemon?" I assured her it was. She said, "So this letter that is 1000 years old is in that book?" (pointing to the Bible). "Yes it is," I said, "but the letter's almost 2000 years old, actually." She was stunned, but also very excited by the information. Reading Twice Freed really helped her understand that the Bible is about real people in real places. Cool.
Overall Twice Freed is a lovely imagining of life in the first century and how the gospel of Jesus Christ genuinely changed those people and places.

[Joyfully Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book!

I will never read the book of Philemon without thinking of this book!!

I loved how it showed that someone who is dirty with sin, even murder and resisting Jesus, can be accepted into His open arms and have all sins washed away!

I also loved the love story between Onesimus and Eirene. It was subtle, nothing crazy, but very sweet and innocent.

I had to read this book for school, but I forgot I was doing English the whole time. I really enjoyed this.

[Eliza Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I loved it. The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because I usually reserve 5 stars for my favoritests (An Old Fashioned Girl, The Anne of Green gables series, etc.)
I would definitely recommend this to Christian tweens and teens. It is a little dramatic and a little violent in some parts.

[Lila Diller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm surprised that this is used as a “text” for the ACE curriculum. Yes, the Biblical setting and characters were built well.

But the plot could have been streamlined so much more. There were several chapters that were so slow, especially at the beginning.

Also, there were a few times when we got a few thoughts and feelings from other characters, even though the rest of the chapter – and the entire book – were all in a third-person limited perspective from Onesimus.

I did like how Eirene's name meant “peace.” I liked how often we saw Paul, one of my favorite Bible heroes. I liked the symbolism.

I just wish the ending had been a little more satisfying. We just needed a bit more resolution after all the tension.

Favorite quotes:
“'Well, I don't want to love or forgive my enemies,' said Onesimus with quiet finality, and the two boys fell silently until they reached the town.” (p. 24)

“'But Jesus Christ can set you free today,' replied the man, and his voice rang with triumph. 'He can free you from your discontent and your hatred. Tell me, does your hatred make you happy?'” (p. 37)

“But now? Something had happened. He seemed to be seeing the whole world with eyes that had been opened. The colors of the sky were fairer, the scent of the acacias more poignant, and the coldness and weariness of the boy at his side suddenly mattered. Could it be that the love of Christ, mysterious and /imperceptible as the coming of dawn, was already beginning to warm and lighten the deep darkness of his broken heart?” (p. 60-61)

“'As Christ died and suffered for your sin, it is forgiven, my son. He bore it; He made peace by the blood of His cross.' 'Yes,' whispered Archippus, 'I know. But I want you to forgive me, too.' 'I do forgive you, my son,' said his father. But Onesimus, remembering the rods, was silent.” (p. 77)

“Among these were two or three keen-eyed rabbis with their Pentateuchs and scrolls of history tucked under their arms. These had been but old stories of dead mean and but revered words from the past until they had suddenly discovered Christ blazing out from every parchment.” (p. 85)

“'Peace, peace, Mistress Eirene,' he called softly after her. 'One day we shall most certainly meet again.'” (p. 93)

“It was his last hour of idle freedom. Tomorrow Philemon would set him to work in real earnest, and he would be glad of it. He was tired of doing just what he pleased; and then he remembered that this was freedom! Just to do what you pleased for the rest of your life and to call no man your master! And he began to wonder, for the first time in his life, how much he would really enjoy it.” (p. 103)

“There was a light in his master's eyes that Onesimus had never seen before. He still did not understand, but he knew that Archippus had grown to patient, disciplined manhood; and in spite of his lameness Onesimus would never despise him again. For the first time in his life he gazed at hi with respect.” (p. 107)

“He thought he had escaped from Christ and His people, but here he had tumbled right into the middle of them again.” (p. 144)

“'For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life … shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' And maybe not distance either, not land or sea, thought Onesimus with a little shudder. He had fled thousands of furlongs from the voice of that love, and yet he could not get away from it.” (p. 168)

“...he suddenly realized what liberty really meant: freedom to bow to the dictates of love and to give yourself to it voluntary slavery. Apart from the discipline of love, freedom was a dreary wilderness without compass or direction, a desert full of mirages, promising everything but yielding nothing.” (p. 177)

(I borrowed a copy for my son's ACE curriculum. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own, as was the decision to write this review.)

[Sydney Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

> historical fiction focusing on the life of Onesimus, a slave boy mentioned in the book of Philemon

> themes include: forgiveness, honesty, biblical suffering, freedom in Christ

> convo: mistreatment of slaves (including branding & one particularly bad whipping), deaths, lying, wine mentioned, sacrificing for and praying to false gods, suicide contemplated, a boy claims he had a vision of Jesus during a near-death experience, drunkenness, orgies mentioned, little gods doctrine*

Type: chapter book
Ages: 9-15

*Here’s my most important thought: Don’t learn your theology from Patricia St. John. She is an excellent writer in some cases (this is one of them), but she did not always have a clear understanding of certain biblical teachings. If a character in any of her books says something about Christianity, run it by the Bible. St. John was occasionally misguided, but I do not consider her a false teacher. (Admittedly, I have yet to read all her books and will, of course, change that statement if the need arises.) The main theological issue in this book was brief and spoken by a relatively young Christian–the unbiblical teaching that we become little gods when God saves us. For more information, please see this article, this article, this excellent video (11:53), this video (1:31), this video (2:51), and this video (8:22). I could go on, but that should get you started. With all that noted, however, I think you can still enjoy the story in this book.

I absolutely loved how the apostle Paul was woven into the story as well as many others who had become Christians and were diligently studying to learn God’s truth. The scene when Philemon became a new creation was very special. As an interesting contrast, St. John wrote in characters who were keeping another kind of “Christianity” that kept the pagan fasts and festivals. They also mortified their bodies as a way to better know Christ and the Holy Spirit. This was properly condemned by the true Christians.

Onesimus (in the story) struggled mightily for years as he kept being knocked down with problems and difficult trials. Yet, God mercifully continued to place Christians around him wherever he went. He heard good teachings, and, eventually, the Lord replaced his heart of stone with one of flesh. He becomes a follower of Christ Jesus, and his important relationships were reconciled. One friend beautifully said to him:

“Afraid of Christ? How can the dead fear life, or the blind fear light, or the lost sheep fear the Shepherd who comes to carry it home? Oh, Onesimus, if you only knew.”

There were a number of good nuggets of truth like this throughout the book. Historical fiction can be such a fascinating way to visualize the time period in which Biblical history occurred. Just be sure to read the Bible first and know which is which!

[Sydney Hiebert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a slog, partially because it’s quite a daunting task to reenact and interpret real events through the prose of historical fiction. It takes a lot of research but can’t bog down; the dialogue has to be authentic but not too dense; and the plot has to balance historical accuracy with believable embellishment. I think St. John missed the mark here. Anytime a passage of scripture is quoted, it’s done in a very KJV way, lots of thees and thous that immediately distract and suck you away from the historical period she’s trying to set up. Also, she had trouble settling on a narrator perspective. For chapters and chapters we’d have Onesimus’ third-person limited perspective, then out of nowhere, we’d receive some third-person omniscient perspective from other minor characters. It would’ve been more interesting to limit that so scenes could be interpreted through Onesimus’ biases.

[Deborah Heatwole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this aloud to my children. It brings in little snippets of Biblical history, like aspects of the churches that Jesus spoke to in Revelation, and made the book of Philemon come alive for us. I feel like it’s much lighter on child evangelism than some of St. John’s books. It definitely complemented our study of Rome and the early church.

[Joel Sommer · Rating 4 out of 5]

leste denne for godt over et år siden, lånte den av farmor. Begynte å tenke på den for noen uker siden, så eg spurte om å låne den igjen (hu endte opp med å gi den til meg), så da va det bare å lese den om igjen, veldig godt skrevet bok og en interessant historie.

[Ember theBooknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, REALLY love this book!
Not only is it Christian, it also has romance and is well-written.
Content: Clean.

[Becky Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. I read a library version and need to buy it in paper now. I liked that it kept the story clean enough children could read it but interesting enough I was raptly turning pages as well. I'm going to have to read it to my kids now. It's the story of Philemon's runaway slave. I thought Patricia St. John did a good job of balancing the things we know with the details that would have to be added. She did not seem to take too many liberties with the unknowns and yet it was still a page-turner with the "unknowns". As to the theological element, she did not put a Tash-follower in heaven so there's that. ;) Over all I greatly enjoyed this book and can't wait to share it with my kids.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice Freed is one of my very favorite books. I would recommend it for anyone 10 and up who loves historical fiction with a Christian focus (in this case, biblical fiction as well).
Honestly, it's hard for me to express the many reasons that I love this book without waxing a wee bit poetic. Still, I'll try to lay it all out in a clear and concise fashion. (my short summary at the bottom has very mild spoilers, so I tagged it)
The first thing that struck me about this book was the clearness and beauty of the author's descriptions of everything - without going into unnecessary details, she sets the stage for each scene, drawing you in and making you feel as if you, too, know what it's like to climb steep canyons on a blistering July afternoon, fight in a gladiatorial arena, or listen to the enigmatic Jew, Paul, as he spreads a new message of repentance and life. She captures the inner longings and stirrings and rebelliousness of the human heart in a way that is entirely truthful and captivating. Strength, weakness, freedom, and joy are interwoven in a triumphant chorus. Few other books that I have read realize so well the quote by Augustine, "Our hearts are restless, until they find their rest in you."
In addition, this book helped me understand Paul's missionary journeys and letters to the churches of Asia Minor much more clearly, and Patricia St. John's attention to historical detail ensures that the historical and biblical events are seamlessly interwoven with the rest of Onesimus' story.
Overall, this book is well written - captivating, emotional, historically accurate, and filled with the most triumphant truth I've seen yet in a work of fiction. Read it. (below, the aforementioned summary)
(Onesimus, a slave living near Colossae in Asia Minor, chafes at his servitude and longs for better things. His feelings only intensify when he meets a high-class girl a few years younger than himself, who seems to have a great appreciation of the wonders and freedom of nature. After a series of climactic events, he runs away, resolving that one day he will be rich and free and will win her hand. As the story unfolds, he discovers that his freedom is not what he'd expected, and that true freedom can only be found in servitude - to Christ.)

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this easy read - on the one hand, it's not even close to being great literature, the plot is obviously forced, and the storyline is choppy. On the other hand, I can sympathize with the imaginative process the author went through to research and write a story woven with the characters, faith, and landscape of the New Testament.

The preface described how she had dreamed of doing this story since she was a child, and while she might not be a great author, her lively faith, her time spent traveling in the geographic footsteps of Paul, and her vivid imagination shine through. She absolutely packed every New Testament character and reference possible into the book, which is almost amusing, but if you read it like something your little sister wrote, it's sweet. You can tell she loves her characters.The landscape descriptions were a bit thick at times, but I drink up that kind of thing, so didn't mind.

A nice Sunday afternoon escape read, and not without moments of meaningful reflection.

[rzells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book years ago as a gift for my tenth birthday. I was always fascinated about ancient Rome for some reason and the cover of Twice Freed caught my eye.
It didn't disappoint either. I read almost the entire book in one setting. It was thrilling and I was transported into the world of the first century AD.

But I was ten then, and I guess I hardly paid much attention to style and plot, as I had just begun to read "novels". I picked it up a few months ago and realized how descriptive the writing was. And I was like, wow. To some extent, I'd ignored this earlier. And I realized that the love part was a bit rushed (Onesimus falls in love with Eirene the first time he sees her) but this is not too distracting. After all, it is a book intended for younger audiences. And overall it's a beautiful captivating story. Left an indelible print in my mind. I think this is one of the few books whose story stayed with me.

[Alicia Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am wary of most Biblical fiction because I don't want my perspective of Scripture muddied or confused by the extra setting details, character development, or plot innovations added by non-Biblical authors. That being said, I treasure this book. Patricia St. John's prose is deeply alive, rich, and sweet; her characters sing; her storytelling is so suspenseful that the book is hard to put down even if you've read the New Testament and know the outline of what happens.

This would be a fun book for anyone studying Acts, Colossians, or Philemon. While St. John certainly invented details about the setting and people, her work makes me more curious to explore the authoritative narrative and teachings of Scripture, not less. I want to know more about Biblical figures like Archippus and Epaphroditus and their lives and relationships. This book also renewed my wonder and thankfulness at the Divine Mercy which covers us all.

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read this in years, but when I was younger I read it several times. I loved most of Patricia St John's books, but particularly this one. It gave so much to this story of Onesimus and I loved how she created a whole story out of a few lines in a small book of the Bible. Whenever I looked at Philemon (that's the book I seem to recall it being from) with my family or in church after reading this, I was always very interested and felt this secret joy about my expanded insight into a possibility of Onesimus' life, and related with the book much better thanks to this story.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for ages 12 and up. Onesimus is a Greek slave boy who is adamant about getting his freedom. But he begins to hear of Jesus Christ and the way he sacrificed his life. He tries to push thoughts of Him away, but yet he keeps hearing more about him. When his master's son is crippled for life partly by Onesium, he is more then ever wanting to flee. His master, Philemon, becomes a disciple of Christ and soon his son follows in his footstep. The question for Onesimus is whether he is willing to serve Christ and be a slave for the rest of his life.

[Kameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! We love Patricia St. John's books...but this one was set apart, with its attention to historic detail and its incorporation of real, New Testament church believers. This era of history and even Paul's letters to the churches have just come alive for all of us as a family.

[Niyah Hawkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I read it as my historical fiction book for school, and now, every time I read the book of Philemon, or a mention of Onesimus, Archippus, or the other true characters of the story, I can't help but think of the book.

[AlixJamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, absolutely amazing. Drawing on the brief mention of Onesimus from the book of Philemon, Miss St. John wove a suspenseful tale of hatred, forgiveness, and the power of God's grace.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the simplicity yet fun of this book. An awesome look at the heart of Onesimus. Based on the Biblical character.