The Damascus Way (Acts of Faith Series #3) » (~)

Davis Bunn, the author of twenty bestsellers, has received numerous accolades, including three Christy Awards. He and his wife, Isabella, make their home near Oxford, England.

Janette Oke has more than thirty million copies of her books in print. She has also won both the Gold Medallion Award and the Christy Award for fiction. Janette and her husband, Edward, live in Alberta, Canada.

Julia has everything money can buy...except for acceptance by either the Gentiles or the Jews. Her Greek father already has a wife and family, leaving Julia and her Hebrew mother second-class citizens. But when they are introduced to followers of the Way, they become part of that community of believers.

Abigail's brother, Jacob, now a young man, is attempting to discover his own place as a Christian. He is concerned that being more serious about his faith means trading away the exhilaration of his current profession as a caravan guard. Hired by Julia's father to protect the wealthy merchant's caravans on the secretive "Frankincense Trail"--undercover transport of this highly valuable commodity--Jacob also passes letters and messages between various communities of believers. He is alarmed to find out that Julia, hardly more than a girl, is also a messenger. Can their immediate mistrust be put aside to finally bring their hearts together?

Library Journal

With a Greek father and a Hebrew mother, Julia is caught between two heritages (Gentile and Jew) and accepted by neither. Then Julia and her mother are introduced to the followers of the Way. Jacob is trying to find his own way as a Christian. His job as a caravan guard takes him many places and provides him with the opportunity to pass secret messages among the communities of believers. When Jacob is hired by Julia's father, he is immediately distrustful of her, but he is soon awed to discover that she is a messenger as well. VERDICT Oke and Bunn have cowritten several successful novels, including the "Song of Acadia" series. Oke is a big name in the genre and has numerous fans. The success of the first two series titles (The Centurion's Wife; The Hidden Flame) make this an essential purchase for public libraries, but the relaxed, character-driven pace and engaging story will win the authors new readers. Recommend this one also to fans of Orson Scott Card's "Women of Genesis" series.