I bought this book as soon as I saw it advertised because I'd previously enjoyed 'Phoebe' an earlier book by the same author. Dr Paula Gooder is a New Testament scholar and she uses her extensive knowledge of the Roman Empire in the first century AD to illuminate this fictional story of the real Lydia, mentioned in Acts, who is the first known Gentile convert to Christianity. Although the story is fictional, the settings and details of daily life in Philippi at that time are precise and accurate; additionally, there are notes to each chapter which can be read before or after the 'story bit' but which explain details hinted at or described in the text. This works well - the movement of the story isn't held up by explanatory details but we can look them up afterwards if we have queries. The story itself moves at a good pace and is told from Lydia's perspective; although I have a good knowledge of the New Testament, I found the details of everyday life and early Christian worship illuminating and thought-provoking; for example, I knew theoretically that the early Gentile believers had only Paul's epistles and occasional visits from the apostles to guide them in their new-found faith, but this is really brought to life in the account of Paul's letter to the Philippians being read to the gathering of believers in Philippi and the questions that it raised for them, as well as giving them guidance and encouragement. The book also brought to life just how hard it was to be a follower of 'The Way' in the years after Pentecost, especially the fact that the early Christians in the Roman world were treated with suspicion by the followers of Greek and Roman gods. It's a stimulating and thought-provoking story - highly recommended!

I bought it for our daughter Lydia as a Christmas present so can't say anything about it.