Hidden Flame, The (Acts of Faith) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Janette Oke (Author), Davis Bunn (Author)

Book Description

Series: Acts of Faith | Publication Date: January 1, 2010

Abigail loses everything and is left with little promise of a normal life. When she discovers the Messiah and joins his followers, she also discovers new meaning and purpose. Maybe she does have a future after all. But increasing persecution is scattering the burgeoning group "to the ends of the earth." And Abigail may have given her heart to the wrong man. Two suitors desire the lovely Abigail's hand in marriage. One is a successful Hebrew merchant and widower looking for a mother for his children. On the other side is the Roman soldier Linux, who is captivated by her winsome charm and could offer the sanctuary-maybe even the love-for which she yearns. But her heart has been captured by neither of these. Stephen, one of the leaders of The Way, has a character and a faith that move her deeply, but his outspoken preaching has marked him for assassination. Will her faith and courage withstand a heartbreak beyond comprehension? And then a glimmer of hope appears, one she never would have foreseen

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Popular Christian authors Bunn and Oke unite in the second installment in the Acts of Faith series (after The Centurion’s Wife, 2009) to tell the story of Abigail, who, in spite of being injured in a terrible accident, finds herself the object of desire for two vastly different, powerful men: Ezra, a wealthy merchant, and Linux, an officer in the Roman army. Neither of these nonbelievers pleases Peter, the leader of Abigail’s new religion, so he betroths her instead to the saintly Stephen, another follower of the Way. However, many influential men want to see the Christians annihilated, along with their iconoclastic beliefs, making life as one of the faithful increasingly dangerous. Oke and Bunn have re-created Judea in the time immediately following the crucifixion of Christ. Richly textured and filled with familiar New Testament figures, their novel also meticulously describes the political climate of the time, including the conflicts between the Romans, Zealots, and Hasmodeans. More than a simple love story, given miracles, martyrdom, and men on a mission, this is the perfect tale for readers who enjoy such biblical epics as Henryk Sienkiewicz’s Quo Vadis, Lew Wallace’s Ben Hur, and Lloyd C. Douglas’ The Robe. --Shelley Mosley --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

Abigail twisted a corner of her shawl and lifted it to wipe the tears running down her cheeks. Fear nearly compressed her chest, and she wondered when--if--she would ever see Alban and Leah again.
She felt eyes observing her and realized that the soldier, Linux, was not watching his friend depart. He was looking at her.
A chill ran through Abigail. She had noticed the handsome Roman officer before, as well as his boldness. She tightened the shawl about her face, covering all but her eyes, and turned away to watch the fast-fleeing mount and its two riders disappear around the corner.
As the sound of their racing gallop over the cobblestones faded away, Abigail moved her head to see the entire community of believers standing in stunned silence. No longer the wedding music. No longer the laughter and camaraderie, the dancing and feasting. Once more their world had abruptly changed with this vivid reminder of who they were, where they were. Aliens in their own land. Judeans, certainly, yet viewed as enemies by their own religious leaders as well as the Roman conquerors.
Out of the silence came a confident voice. Though little more than a whisper, it resonated through the stillness of the courtyard, a prayer that came from the heart and soul of the former fisherman of Galilee. "Go with God," breathed Peter, his arm outstretched toward the alley through which the couple had fled.
"Go with God," echoed throughout the group, as though the entire gathering took a fresh breath. Yes. God was with the two now escaping for their lives, as he was with those left to face the hunters. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House; 1 Lrg edition (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764207415
• ISBN-13: 978-0764207419
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,247,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Davis Bunn is the author of over nineteen national bestsellers, and his books have sold over six million copies in sixteen languages. The recipient of three Christy Awards, Bunn currently serves as writer-in-residence at Oxford University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting biblical fiction, April 26, 2010

By 

Katy F. (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hidden Flame (Acts of Faith, Book 2) (Paperback)

The setting of this book is fascinating, just as in the first book of the series. Abigail is living among the early Christians, helping Martha every day with her duties taking care of orphans and widows as well as the disciples and their followers, taking on new duties as assigned by the apostle Peter, forming a friendship with Stephen (who becomes the first Christian martyr), and living during a period of time of increasing tension between Jews and followers of The Way, whose numbers are increasing daily. Abigail is at the center of this historic time and these historic events, experiencing God's healing and the beginning of the persecution of the early church.

I also thought the branches of the story that focused on Abigail's suitors were interesting as well. They both were witness to miracles and they both felt the Holy Spirit calling to them, but only one of them came to accept Christ and become one of his followers. The other let his jealousy and anger lead him to a position where he became a vocal opponent of Christ's followers. The different paths the men end up taking are thought-provoking.

I enjoyed this newest book in the series, even though it ended at a bit of a cliffhanger (just like the first book did). I have no idea when the next book in the series is going to be released (or who it is going to focus on), but I am looking forward to it. I don't often read biblical fiction, but I have found this series to be very engaging. It is awe-inspiring to imagine actually living during that historic time and I've enjoyed gaining a better understanding of what life was like then. I have especially enjoyed learning more about what life was like for women in that time and place and what it was like for gentile converts in the early Church. If you have any interest in fiction set immediately following the crucifixion of Christ, you would probably enjoy this series.

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Biblical Accounts Brought To Life, December 19, 2009

By 

Trench Mommy "Trench Mommy" (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Hidden Flame (Acts of Faith) (Audio CD)

I awoke this morning eager to pick-up where I left off on the fourth CD of this 6 CD audio book. Bunn and Oke had me hovering in my kitchen thinking of more tasks that I could do just to stay near the audio drama brought to my ears.

This is the second book of the Acts Of Faith series authored by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke. They have taken Biblical accounts found in the book of Acts and woven them together with the fiction of their imaginations to create a story that brings life into characters of old.

Never before have I thought about how people must have spread rumors saying that Peter killed Ananias and Sapphira; or thought of how the women must have felt when treated with loving respect by transformed men.

This audio book allows you to step back into time and use your imagination to be there when God shows His power through miracles and His peace through a martyr's death.

The account of firm faith, deep betrayal, and overwhelming loss will keep you riveted and give you a great appreciation for what our Brothers and Sisters went through in the early years of the Church.

* * * * *

The original book is published by Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group. This audio copy for review has been provided by Oasis Audio.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A big disappointment., February 10, 2010

By 

CelticWomanFanPiano - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Hidden Flame (Acts of Faith, Book 2) (Paperback)

After reading "The Centurion's Wife" when it first came out, I eagerly awaited the next installment of the series and I regret to say I've been left most disappointed. There is some value in finding out what life was like during the early days of Christianity. But, as far as the characters go, I found Abigail to be most uninspiring. While the motif in historical novels is frequently that the lead female character is daring and steps out of the confines for womanhood of her era, in this book Abigail is presented as a most weak and helpless creature. Most of the novel presents her as helplessly wondering how to get in contact with her brother and her not making any real concrete overtures to do so. Ironically for half the book we are presented with two possibilities for suitors for Abigail and then neither one of them turns out to be the real love story. Which leaves the reader feeling cheated. Not that Stephen, the husband, isn't kind and worthy. It is just that if the reader is supposed to be involved in the story then he should have been presented earlier. While I'm a fan of Christian novels and the message that they present. I found this book to contain a lot of drivel. There is very little real action, just the characters thoughts mostly, for the first half of the book. And the sheer nonentity of Abigail make this book, in my humble opinion, not worth the read. And I rarely write a negative review.