Title of Book: A Voice in the Wind
A Voice in the Wind is an awe-inspiring book that has the power to change a person’s life. This book takes you through the spiritual journey of a faint-hearted girl named Hadassah as her world flips upside down. A Christian born in Judea, she is sold into slavery in Rome when her whole family is murdered. When Hadassah becomes a slave for the Valerian family- Decimus the father, Phoebe the mother, Marcus the son, and Julia the daughter-she sees the family’s desperation and is determined to help them. Hadassah goes through many trials and tribulations as she learns to lean on the Lord for the courage and strength she needs for her biggest test of all.
A Voice in the Wind has an addictive plot that keeps the reader madly entertained. The plot bounces back and forth between three characters’ stories, Hadassah, Artretes, and Marcus, until their fates align and their stories become one. Even though there are three stories going on, the reader still feels like they personally know each character. As the characters are going through hardships, the reader deeply feels for each character. The reader feels on top of the world when the characters succeed, like when Artretes wins his freedom: “Turning, he looked for whoever stood between him and his freedom. Thousands of spectators were on their feet, waving white banners and chanting. It was a moment before Artretes’ mind cleared and he realized what the mob was screaming so loudly: ‘Atretes! Atretes! Atretes!’ He was the last man standing,” (Rivers 436). This is an example of how the reader felt like they were in the stands cheering for the character because they feel like they have personally been through everything Atretes has. The reader is consumed with the plot to the point where they feel like it is their own life.
The compelling plot of this story leads to a very powerful theme that is hard for the reader to ignore. Whether aware of it or not, everyone serves something. Everyone gives their time, effort, and talents toward something, and they become a servant of whatever that thing is. The things of this earth can never fully satisfy a person. Whatever their “god” is, they will chase after it until they die, but never be fully satisfied; they will always have a sense of emptiness, confusion, frustration, etc. The only way to truly be satisfied is to commit your life to Christ. To seek after Him, to have a personal relationship with Him, to live for Him, and to glorify Him, gives a person an immeasurable amount of satisfaction and joy. To fully surrender to Jesus is the best way to live. To be in His will is the best place to be. Knowing you are in His hands and He cares for you, and knowing He is always with you is the most freeing thing. For Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty,” (The Holy Bible: John 6:35).
This book shows exactly that as all the characters are seeking joy and approval from things of the world. Hadassah tries to show them that true satisfaction and joy can only be filled by Jesus. In the book, it says, “In a sense, they were all alike, each using religion to give them what they thought they needed- power, money, pleasure, peace, righteousness, a crutch. They obeyed their individual laws, made their sacrifices, performed their rituals, all the while expecting to have the desires fulfilled. Sometimes it seemed as though they succeeded, and then she would see the empty longing in their eyes,” (Rivers 234). In the book, Hadassah has a conversation with Marcus and she says, “How do I explain to them that I’m really to one who is free, and they are the captives?” (Rivers 234) and, “We all serve something, my lord,” (Rivers 124) as well as, “Are we not all bond servants to whatever we worship?” (Rivers 125).
The plot and the theme of this story leads to developing paramount character traits in the characters. Throughout the book, Hadassah is fighting against fear. Hadassah explains this to Atretes when she says, “‘Through Julia, the Lord has set me free… Fear was my constant companion, from as far back as I can remember. I’d been afraid all my life, Atretes, from the time I was a small child visiting Jerusalem, right up to a few days ago. I never wanted to leave the safety of the little house where I grew up in Galilee or the friends we knew. I was afraid of everything. I was afraid of losing those I loved. I was afraid of persecution and suffering. I was afraid of dying.’ Her eyes glistened with tears. ‘Most of all, I was afraid that when the time came and I was tested, I wouldn’t have the courage to say the truth. And then the Lord would turn his face from me,’” (Rivers 484). Then, after all that Hadassah had been through, tested, and tried, she had learned to lean on the Lord for the strength and courage she needed in the moment. She explains, “‘And then it happened, the very thing I feared most...I stood before people who hated me, people who refused to believe, and I was given a choice: recant or die. And the cry came from within my soul, a cry the Lord gave me through his grace. I chose God.’ Tears ran down her cheeks, but her eyes were shining. ‘And the most amazing, miraculous thing happened to me in that moment, Atretes. Even as I was speaking the words, proclaiming Jesus is the Christ, my fear fell away. The weight of it was gone as though it had never been...in that moment, before Julia, before those others, I surrendered completely. He is God and there is no other. To not tell them the truth would be impossible,’” (Rivers 484). Hadassah turned from a fearful girl to a girl who was willing to die for what she believed in: “Unless we have something worth dying for, Atretes, we’ve nothing worth living for,” (Rivers 484). This powerful development of character unlocks an amazing realization among readers if they are only willing to pick up the book.
While the plot, theme, and character development are all very important and wonderful parts of a book, a truly good book connects these facets back to the reader’s life; the author makes the book relevant to the reader’s lives. This book, which is based in the first century in Rome, shows in depth the corruption of society as everyone is chasing after earthly possessions and approval. And as disturbing as it is, it is a reflection of what modern-day America is becoming. Francine Rivers, the author of the book, when asked about how similar first-century Roman culture and the modern-day world are, she said, “I was amazed at how closely we (America) mirror the attitudes of Rome. It was disturbing and should be taken as a warning.”
Rivers, Francine. A Voice in the Wind / Mark of the Lion/ Book 1. Tyndale House, 1993.
The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments. Trinitarian Bible Society, 2010.
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