Daughter of Lazarus

by Albert A. Bell Jr.

Book Overview

This is an Authors Guild/BIP title. Please use Authors Guild/BIP specs. Text for author bio box: Use author's bio Text for book description box: Lorcis, slave of decadent Roman aristocrats,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870292153
• ISBN13: 9780870292156
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Abbey Pr
• Length: 287 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An twisted tale

After being raised from the dead by Jesus, Lazarus marries and has a family. He later dies again, leaving his wife and family prey to the many dangers of life in 1st Century Rome. We meet Lazarus' daughter Lorcis in Naples, where she lives the good life as the favored slave of a kindly master. Her dream world is shattered when she is sold to Regulus, known to history as one of the vilest men in Rome. Thus begins the tale of Lorcis' life, a succession of up and downs through which she develops her own philosophy of life and gains a knowledge of her Hebrew and Christian background. She becomes a real person to the reader, who could easily imagine someone living this life in ancient Rome. Dr. Bell does an excellent job of developing his characters, who include a number of real individuals from Roman history. He skillfully leads us through, and instructs us of, both the good and bad of ancient Rome. He does not, however, feel a need to display his erudition as do far too many other academic novelists. I finished the book satisfied that I had been entertained and educated at the same time.

First-rate historical romance

This book is a splendid combination of deft story-telling with solid historical information. The reader really gets a feel of what it would have been like to be a female slave in ancient Rome -- unable to control what happens to your body, your child. Lorcis, the main character, is determined to win her freedom, even though others tell her that slaves have a kind of security which free people lack. The novel combines historical characters with fictitious ones in such a way that both seem to be very much alive. The Christians in Rome in the late first century AD play a significant part in the book, although it is not a Christian novel. Every time I thought I knew where the plot was going, it took an unexpected turn, right up to the last page.