Second Chances (Light in the Empire)

By Carol Ashby

Description:

Must the shadows of the past destroy the hope of the future?

In AD 122, Cornelia Scipia, proud daughter of one of Rome's noblest families, learns her adulterous husband plans to betroth their daughter to the vicious son of his best friend. Over her dead body! Cornelia divorces him, reclaims her enormous dowry, and kidnaps her own daughter. She plans to start over with Drusilla a thousand miles away. No more husbands for her. But she didn’t count on meeting Hector, the widowed Greek captain of the ship carrying her to her new life.

Devastated by the loss of his wife and daughter, Hector’s heart begins to heal as he befriends Drusilla. Cornelia’s sacrificial love for Drusilla and her courage and humor in the face of the unknown earn his admiration…as a friend. Is he ready for more?

Marriage to the kind, honest sea captain would give Drusilla the father she deserves…and Cornelia the faithful husband she’s always longed for. But while her ex-husband hunts them to drag Drusilla back to Rome, secrets in Hector’s past and the chasms between their social classes and different faiths erect complicated barriers to any future together. Will God give two lonely hearts a second chance at happiness?

Book Takeaway:

When we walk away from what we once considered important to save another person, God can replace what we thought we had lost with a future brighter than any we imagined.

Why the author wrote this book:

I love how living a life faithful to God can open doors for us to share His love with people we never expected would care. The Roman Empire around AD 120 is the perfect place for stories about living our faith, even in dangerous times, and how the way we love and forgive can make others curious about what we have in Jesus so they want to know Him, too.

I was drawn to two minor characters in my third novel,The Legacy: Hector, the ship’s captain, and Cornelia, noble wife of the adulterous rat who was so eager to inherit early that he betrayed his father so he would die for his faith. Their contrasts in social status, wealth, and most of all faith presented a wonderful chance to explore how God can bring even the most unlikely people together.