Daniel's childhood came to an abrupt end when his father was condemned to death by Romans, his mother died of grief, and his sister went insane. He and his sister were cared for by his grandmother who tried to scrape together a living for herself and the children. Now a young man, and blaming the Romans for all his problems, Daniel joins an outlaw band on the mountain overlooking his hometown. He believes he is fighting for his country and exercising vengeance on the Romans as he follows the outlaw leader, Rosh. Daniel's life begins to change when he meets Joel and Malthace, two young people with a similar desire to see their land free of the Romans. The three of them make a pact to fight together for God's victory. But then Daniel learns his grandmother has died and finds he must leave the mountain to care for his sister, Leah. Daniel is torn between the responsibility he feels toward his sister and his hatred against the Romans. To support him and his sister, Daniel takes over a blacksmith shop belonging to his friend, Simon, who has left town to follow a traveling teacher named Jesus. Daniel begins to wonder if Jesus is the leader they have all been hoping for, the one who will lead them against the Romans. But Jesus is teaching a very different message from the one Daniel wants to hear. Trying to remain true to his vow, Daniel begins gathering together more young people to join with Rosh in the fight against the Romans. But circumstances soon cause Daniel to wonder if Rosh is really a worthy leader. With nowhere to go and no one to turn to, Daniel has only his hate for the Romans to keep him going. In desperation he seeks out Jesus and learns that if he truly wishes to bring about God's victory he may need to give up his hatred and desire for vengeance. Though he feels trapped by both his vow and his responsibility to Leah, finding help for her when her health takes a turn for the worse leads him to an understanding of the power of love over hate. Other titles by Elizabeth George Speare:
The Bronze Bow
The Sign of the Beaver
The Witch of Blackbird Pond |