The Good Sister

It all starts with a dare. Salome, a spirited young woman in Galilee, is perched in a tree and challenges Nathaniel, her smitten childhood friend, to climb onto a high branch after her. He falls and crushes a leg. Salome flees the scene in shock, abandoning Nathaniel.

When Salome discovers her younger sister, Mariam (the Virgin Mary), is pregnant out of wedlock after their older sister, Rebekah, has been raped by Roman soldiers, she tries to raise the family's reputation by marrying a man she barely knows, forsaking Nathaniel and nurturing guilt. At the same time, Nathaniel battles his own seemingly unrequited feelings for Salome and also marries another. Both Nathaniel and Salome wrestle with inner turmoil and become undercover messengers and freedom fighters for the Zealots in a fledgling rebellion. Their paths continue to cross over the years, and a tangled relationship simmers and evolves.

This coming-of-age story is set in biblical times amid the brutal rule of Roman centurions yet has universal and modern-day relevance. Salome's shame, fear, regret, love, integrity, and perseverance will resonate with anyone dealing with the desire to be "good." The Good Sister is the first in a trilogy that follows Salome as she navigates the murky waters of human motivations and aspirations-only to discover that real love is not necessarily tied to goodness.