Blog on the Lillypad
Sunday, May 30, 2004
 | Perpetua: A Bride, A Passion, A Martyr by Amy Peterson Jeri's Review:
Amy Peterson's first book, released through Relevant Publishers, is about the early church martyr, Perpetua. This amazing woman, at the age of 22, suffered arrest, imprisonment, torture and death at the hands of the Roman government. She was sustained by a sharp awareness of the presence and majesty of God, an awareness that overflowed into dreams that comforted her and others with whom she was imprisoned. Indeed, the tone of Perpetua's final days is not one of sorrow but rather joy. |
Peterson's book is a welcome addition to Christian fiction. In terms of depth and breadth, this young author's first novel delivers a vivid world from the distant past and portrays the differences and similarities without compromise. The early church was different in many ways from the modern church, and Peterson faithfully depicts the church as it was. She brings the ancient Roman empire, its glory, its scholarship, its savagery, and its stunning arrogance to life with a detail and accuracy that rivals such standards as BEN-HUR or THE ROBE. Indeed, I found Peterson's book more convincing and clear about the details of that age and culture than either of the others.
Perpetua herself, this 22-year old married woman and mother of an infant, has often been reduced by church history to a glyph of piety and fortitude. Under Peterson's pen, Perpetua comes to life as a real young woman, the offspring of a noble family. She is educated, curious, impatient, anxious to marry, concerned about all of the uncertainties that assail any young woman ready to begin life. And she suffers from all the sins and temptations that beset all of us. In making Perpetua real, the author succeeds in making Christ real and showing that He is the source of the faith of the martyrs.
However, this book was not a quick read for me. In the early chapters I had some difficulties adjusting to the Latin terms and their corresponding footnotes as I read, but in review I think that was the best way to handle a necessary introduction to an ancient way of life.
Yet there are weaknesses in the narrative style. Christian fiction as a whole suffers from "over writing", an inundation of imagery that slows the plot, as well as too much personal reflection from the point of view character that hammers out the conclusions that the reader should reach. Peterson's book is not exempt from these afflictions; some sections move quickly, and others do not. And I was startled in the first half of the book to stumble over incorrect use of the verbs lie/lay more than once. There are occasional instances of jarring word use. I just cannot fathom ancient nobility discussing the "perks" of an aristocratic assignment, not even in translation.
Yet these are small quibbles, overall, and the burden to accurately proof and streamline a text lies with the editorial process at the publishing house. The book starts well enough, sags in the middle at times, but the final third of the book hits a consistent and well-paced stride. The narrative never misses a beat as the writer draws together all the threads that captured Perpetua, her husband, and several members of their congregation in a net of Roman persecution.
Any Christian novel that prompts the reader to bring matters to God, to pause from reading in order to pray and ask God about some of the troubling issues of one's own faith, is a worthy Christian novel. For me, this book did just that.
Perpetua is an ambitious and worthy first novel, an explanation of a culture long past, and an exploration of the Christian faith and work of Christ in that culture. I recommend it for young adults, and I think Christian book clubs would benefit from reading it together.
