The Purple Mantle is a refreshing, albeit historical, novel written for young adults (junior high through high school) that gives real insight into courage, determination, responsibility and spiritual conviction. It presents young people with a moral and spiritual choice lacking in the films and other media they are exposed to in this 21st Century.
My granddaughters are too young to read it on their own so I am reading it to them. It is too important a book and the message is too important a message for them to have to wait for it.
I am so glad it was translated from Greek or I would never have had the opportunity to read it.
The twist is that while Diocletian's administration is fervently persecuting Christianity, Helios' mother converts to Chrisitianity. Not wanting to give all of the book away, the book presents the struggle between personal ambition & love for one's family. That, however, is really a minor theme when one considers that people's salvation and their lives were at stake over these issues. Although a novel, many of the events in this book really happened.
I think this would especially appeal to high school & junior high school aged students. It will give them a glimpse of what the early Christians had to struggle against for their Faith. For adults, the theme is really good, but the writing is definately targeted towards younger folks, so it may be a bit simpler than some would like. However, it was a nice easy read and did prove to be quite inspiring to me.
Although written especially for young adults, this historical novel has enthralled people of all ages with its riveting narrative. Carefully tracing the spiritual awakening and growth of a young man and woman, it places in striking relief the ultimate choice faced by all of us - between the ephemeral comforts and grandeur of this world and the eternal joy and glory of the world to come.