The Wayward Vestal

By Darcy Ditmore

Set in the turbulent heart of imperial Rome, AD 81, Cornelia, an aristocrat and high priestess of the Vestal Virgins commits an unforgivable act: she allows Vesta's sacred flame to die and flees the temple. Fearing of execution for her crime, she hides among the tombs along a highway on the city's edge and stumbles into an underground Christian gathering. There she meets Marcus, a gentle widower whose quiet faith both puzzles and intrigues her. He shelters her in his humble tenement, but Cornelia, raised on the philosophy of Epicurus, rejects every creed, even the goddess she once served. The Wayward Vestal is the story of an ancient priestess's quest for liberation. A Vestal Virgin bound by an oath duty and celibacy, Cornelia yearns to travel the world and enjoy a life of freedom and exploration not available to any woman.

In breaking free of her privileged yet regimented life, Cornelia charts her own destiny, but is soon kidnapped and sold into slavery. In the course of her struggle to be free, she has illicit relationships with two men, Marcus the plebian Christian wagon driver and Gaius, a patrician senator, one deeply platonic and the other passionately romantic. Through her difficult journey, Cornelia also develops an intimate relationship with Vesta, the goddess she once abandoned.

In her efforts to survive and to save the people she loves, Cornelia runs up against Caesar Domitian, a capricious, cruel tyrant who is determined to keep Cornelia, the Vestal Virgins, and the rest of the Roman empire firmly under his control. The Wayward Vestal is a tale of resilience, forbidden desire, and the enduring struggle for freedom in a world governed by power and fear.

Blending political intrigue, forbidden love, and the collision of faith and doubt, this sweeping historical novel follows a woman who defies gods and emperors to claim her own destiny and discovers a deeper, unexpected liberation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FSHB2X83
• ISBN13: 9798349463792
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Gothica Press
• Length: 396 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.3"