Perpetua, a wealthy noblewoman just coming of age in Carthage, discovers Jesus at a time when Christians are being thrown to the beasts in city amphitheaters for sport. Rejecting the gods of the ancient Roman Empire, she embraces a passionate relationship with Jesus and falls in love with a man who shares her faith. Together they navigate the treacherous, bloodthirsty waters of the decadent social culture, secretly forming friendships with the Christian plebeians and slaves they now call brothers and sisters. But betrayal and jealousy threaten to expose their faith to the Roman authorities, and every step seems to take them closer to the ultimate sacrifice.AUTHOR EDITION (ebook exclusive). Released on the novel's 15th Anniversary, the Author Edition now includes one restored chapter and restored passages throughout.Perpetua is a riveting historical novel based on the real life and death of the beloved third-century martyr, whose prison diary is the oldest extant work by a Christian woman. While many martyrs were poor or illiterate, Perpetua was neither. A new mother, a noblewoman, wealthy, highly educated . . . she had much to lose and she chose to give it all away for Jesus. Perpetua was martyred in the amphitheater of Carthage in 203 AD, but kept a diary of her arrest, her time in prison, and the dreams and visions that strengthened her and her friends. The novel expands her account to include the less than three years between her conversion and her execution, as she experiences joy, persecution, and self-discovery, and is faced with the final test of love."...if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing..." 1 Corinthians 13:3