The second book in the Jerusalem Road series imagines the lives of Jesus’s sisters.

Pheodora is the wife of a poor shepherd, and although they and their daughters do not have much, she is happy with her life — something her sister, Damaris, cannot understand. Married to a wealthy merchant, Damaris is accustomed to a certain level of luxury and prestige, but despite their differences, the sisters love and care for each other.

Their bond is put to the test when Pheodora’s husband runs afoul of a tax collector and is thrown into debtor’s prison with little hope of ever being able to pay the exorbitant amount. Damaris’s husband could easily pay off the debt, but there is one thing stopping him: he has been invited to join the Pharisees, a revered group of men committed to maintaining an extreme level of holiness and righteousness, and he and Damaris are strongly discouraged from interfering with the affairs of the “unholy” common people.

All the while, their older brother Yeshua is travelling the countryside, stirring up trouble with the authorities. After one momentous Passover, Damaris will learn what true righteousness is, and Pheodora will understand the great gift of having all your debts forgiven. ( )

I’m slowly working through this series, and when I came to this book, I knew it was probably one I would enjoy. Mom highly recommended it after she read it, and several historical events included in the book that she mentioned after reading this story especially piqued my interest. What I didn’t expect, when I started reading, was the mystery element and perspective on Pharisees that I got here—that caught me off guard, in a very good way. Hunt does an amazing job at bringing this time to life, and I feel like I know a lot more about Ancient Israel and the way things may have worked back then after reading this book. The characters were all relatable and their plights gripped my heart. The writing style wasn’t the best I’ve ever seen, but the plot itself was interesting enough that that didn’t really affect me. Overall, a good read, and I’m looking forward to finishing the series! ( )

This is the second book in the Jerusalem Road series by Angela Hunt. I have enjoyed every book she has written and this is no exception BUT, I was a bit disappointed in this one. It was a very slow start for me and I almost gave up. I'm glad I didn't as it turned out to be a good book. It was written from the viewpoint of Jesus' 2 sisters. The narrative switched back and forth between them but not in equal shares.

The book, of course, is a Christian book and the main theme was forgiveness. The shepherd's wife is one of the sisters and the book is mostly from her view. The rest of the family is involved, but only as supporting characters.

The plot didn't seem to be as important and the theme and I guess that was one of the things I didn't care for.

Overall, I did enjoy the book once I got past the first chapter or so. It is not my favorite, but I did enjoy it. I think anyone that enjoys Biblical fiction will enjoy this book also. I give it a 3 out of 5 star rating. ( )