Book Six - Fortress Shadows: A Chronicle of Smyrna is a story about passionate love. We have heard it said that true love requires sacrifice. But it’s incredible how passionate love leads to intense conflicts of every kind. Everyone in this book has a singular focus. (This is the sixth historical novel in the saga Heartbeats of Courage.)
People of all ages express their love, but it comes out differently. This historical novel, placed in the ancient city of Smyrna, Izmir, (see the front cover), on the Turkish coast, is set in the last years of the First Century.
The story explores many kinds of passion. Anthony, an imprisoned Roman legionary on trial for crimes against the state, faces the most difficult decision of his life. By simply declaring, “Caesar is lord and god,” he can walk free with a new lease on life. But if he loves his Lord more than life, he faces certain execution. At his court-martial, Anthony faces five military commanders. Antipas, who we met in Book One of this saga, became Anthony’s mentor.
Antipas loved his Lord so much that he could not declare, “Caesar is lord and god.” And that led to a terrible death.
From experience, Anthony knows military men love and respect the Roman Empire. Their commitment permits them to understand politics and religion from only Rome’s viewpoint.
Other people are passionate in their search for wealth, prestige, popularity, possessions, and power. Why is their commitment so focused that they will sacrifice everything to fulfill their ambitions? Some are judges, lawyers, landowners, shipbuilders, sailors, and even criminals in the illegal slave business.
Unknown to Anthony, Miriam, married for seven years, faces a painful choice. She can either choose to receive an enormous inheritance with certain conditions, which will make her a fabulously wealthy woman. Or she might have to spend the rest of her life with her husband, Anthony, experiencing abject poverty. Does Miriam love her husband enough to become impoverished, living at the lowest economic levels?
Grace is Anthony and Miriam’s adopted daughter. She will soon learn how much sacrifice is called for as she lives with her mother’s decision. Young Grace, only seven years old, gradually answers many questions: What does it take to keep a home a loving place? What choices and sacrifices must be made to keep bread on the table? Why is the teaching of Jesus, the Nazarene, a challenge for both the Roman and Greek-speaking authorities? Why won’t they believe in the Kingdom of God? How do corruption and greed continue to outsmart the cleverest governmental authorities? Around Grace are various married couples and those who don’t believe in a wedding. One of her most significant discoveries is the answer to a question: “What character traits are necessary to overcome the obstacles that love places in their way?”
And for ourselves, we find an answer to an oft-repeated question: “Were people 2000 years ago that different from what we find in the world today?”
