‘The Damascus Way’ by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke – Book Review and Giveaway

One of my favorite books of 2010 was ‘The Hidden Flame’ by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke, the second book in the ‘Acts of Faith’ series, which focused on the Early Years of the Church when followers of the Way were interacting with the Disciples, etc... So when the third book in the series, ‘The Damascus Way,’ was released, I knew I wanted to continue following the story line as seen through the creative minds of Davis Bunn and Janette Oke. 

Here is the synopsis of this book:

The fledgling church is being scattered by persecution spearheaded by a fanatical young Pharisee who does not realize he is helping to spread the truth “unto the ends of the earth.”

Young Julia has everything money can buy, yet she and her Hebrew mother are less than second-class citizens. When Julia discovers the secret her Greek father has kept all these years, she is devastated. Her future is clouded with uncertainty.

Jacob, Abigail’s brother, is attempting to find his own place among the believers. Does it mean trading away the exhilaration and adventure of his current profession as a caravan guard? Hired to protect a wealthy merchant’s caravans on the secretive “Frankincense Trail,” Jacob also reluctantly takes on the perilous responsibility of passing messages between communities of believers dispersed across the land. He is alarmed to discover that Julia is also a courier. Can they put their initial mistrust aside to accomplish their mission?

An Earthshaking Encounter on the Way to Damascus Has Repercussion Far Beyond the Lives of Julia and Jacob.

This book was written by a dynamic duo who have had a great deal of success both individually and together. 

Here is the biography for Davis Bunn:

Davis Bunn has been a professional novelist for twenty years.  His books have sold in excess of six million copies in sixteen languages, appearing on numerous national bestseller lists.

Davis is known for the diversity of his writing talent, from gentle gift books like The Quilt to high-powered thrillers like The Great Divide.  He has also enjoyed great success in his collaborations with Janette Oke, with whom he has co-authored a series of groundbreaking historical novels.

In developing his work, Davis draws on a rich background of international experience. Raised in North Carolina, he completed his undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University. He then traveled to London to earn a master’s degree in international economics and finance before embarking ona distinguished career that took him to more than thirty countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Davis has received numerous literary accolades, including three Christy Awards for excellence in fiction.  He currently serves as Writer-in-Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University, and is a sought-after lecturer on the craft of writing.

(Photo courtesy of Chris Kidler, Florida Today)

Here is the biography for Janette Oke:

Janette Oke was born in Champion, Alberta, to a Canadian prairie farmer and his wife, and she grew up in a large family full of laughter and love.  She is a graduate of Mountain View Bible College in Alberta, where she met her husband, Edward, and they were married in May of 1957.  After pasturing churches in Indiana and Canada, the Okes spent some years in Calgary, where Edward served in several positions on college faculties. She has written forty-eight novels for adults and another sixteen for children, and her book sales total nearly thirty million copies.

The Okes have three sons and one daughter, all married, and are enjoying their fifteen grandchildren.  Edward and Janette are active in their local church and make their home near Didsbury, Alberta.

As in ‘The Hidden Flame,' the main character in ‘The Damascus Way’ is Abigail; also prominently featured are other early followers of the Way, including Peter, Ananias,  Martha, and the Samaritan woman at the well, whose name in this novel is Helzebah. 

I loved both of the parallel storylines following Julia and Jacob, and Jacob’s sister, Abigail. I was particularly struck by the faithfulness and love for their Lord and others of the followers of Christ. They all were changed by their relationship with Him and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There were major character improvements in all of the new followers; it was inspirational! Here is an example of one character, Linux, a Roman soldier, explaining his transformation:

The drover cackled once more. “And you are as strange a Roman as ever I have had occasion to meet.”

“I am a man remade by Jesus, the risen Christ.”

The elder studied him. “If this Jesus of your can turn two Romans into guardians of poor Judeans, then he is powerful indeed.”

“I stand as testimony to the truth of your words,” Linux said. “And I shall pray to Him tonight for the salvation of your soul, you and all your clan.” (p. 105)

This book is packed with valuable information pertaining to life in that era and area. For instance, I was interested in learning more about frankincense:

Jacob knew that perhaps the most valuable item in the world was frankincense. It formed the core component of virtually every perfume and was used as incense in Greek, Roman, and Judean religious rites. Frankincense was a key ingredient in embalming and burials. And, perhaps most important, for those who could afford it, frankincense was considered to have powerful healing qualities. It was used for the treatment of breathing difficulties, joint ailments, and chest inflammations.

The Hebrew word for frankincense was levonah, also the unofficial name of the ancient Phoenician kingdom to the north of Judea. Phoenician traders had held a virtual monopoly on its trade for over a thousand years. (p. 120)

I also loved the fact that this book was written by two excellent authors. I am not sure how Mr. Bunn and Mrs. Oke split up the writing, but it is seamless and incredible! I am naturally interested in this era of Church history, but I am particularly interested when the writing is so incredibly well done!

Another interesting aspect of this book is the fact that it looked at Paul’s conversion on the Road to Damascus. I am so inspired by the fact that God took this Pharisee that was so damaging to the Church, and converted him to such an extent that he became one of the most important Christ followers who ever lived! That turnaround gives hope to all of us who have made mistakes in life (and none of us are exempt in that category). I was hoping to see more of Saul of Tarsus in ‘The Hidden Flame,’ but am grateful that he was included in this last book in the series.

I really loved this book! As noted, I did read the second book in this ‘Acts of Faith’ series, ‘The Hidden Flame’ (you can read my review here). I have not read the first book, ‘The Centurion’s Wife;’ it is definitely on my Wish List!

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Bethany House and provided by the Blogging Bistro for review purposes.

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I have one copy of this book to give along; many thanks to Laura at Blogging Bistro for generously providing the copy!  You will WANT to read this excellent book!

There are several ways to gain entry:           

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me what is most intriguing to you about this novel. Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com. 

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This giveaway is for U.S. residents only. The deadline for entry is Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST. One winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on Thursday, May 12, 2011 and will be contacted via email. The best to all of you!