by Angela Hunt
My latest release, The Daughter of Rome, is set in that ancient city during the time of Nero. I don’t know why we are so fascinated with ancient Rome—it certainly was an interesting time, but I think we are intrigued by it because modern civilization has taken so much from that time period. Our American Senate—the very idea of representatives speaking for the people—came from Rome. And who isn’t fascinated by the Romans’ ingenuity? They had heated bathroom floors, running water, and public toilets (though I don’t think any of us would actually want to use one).
When I was younger, I loved books about Rome, including The Robe and The Silver Chalice. So I thought of those books as I began this last book of the Emissaries series. Each book was set in a city where Paul had established a church, and followed the fledgling believers as they struggled to understand how to live in a pagan world while standing for Christ. The first book, The Woman from Lydia, was set in Phillippi, the second, The Sisters of Corinth, was set in Corinth, and finally we came to Rome.
A pivotal event in the story is the Great Fire of Rome, which burned for days and killed hundreds of people. Hawaii experienced its own horrific fire as I was writing the book, and California is burning as I write this blog post. Even in our modern age, fire has the power to change a city’s people, politics, and sway the balance of power. The great fire certainly had a profound effect on Rome . . . and on Christianity.
The story concerns a sculptor and his daughter. During the fire, the sculptor is injured, and his daughter, Calandra, must then complete a statue he was commissioned to build. I’m no sculptor, but I learned enough about how they cast those gigantic brass statues to be mightily impressed. The Coliseum was named after a colossal statue over ten stories tall!
While my sculptor, now blind, and his daughter struggle to complete his statue, they encounter Aquila and Priscilla, as well as other believers. The early church members minister to Calandra and her father, and love them during their time of darkest need. They also meet apostles Paul and Peter, who are imprisoned under Nero’s reign.
Was Peter in Rome? There is some evidence to prove that he not only visited Rome, but that he and his wife died there, so I worked that into the story. I also had characters from the first two books—Mariana and Marcus from Corinth, and Ariston and Euodia from Philippi—come to Rome, so all the major characters from the series reunite in this final story.
But the book belongs to Calandra, the daughter of Rome, and her story carries the day. I hope readers will find ancient Rome as fascinating as I did.
About the Author
Angela Hunt and her husband live in the Tampa Bay area, where she writes and cares for her dogs and chickens. Her next book, Rescued Heart: The Story of Sarah, releases in the fall of 2025. Readers can find more of her books on her website, angelahuntbooks.com.
About the Book
In Nero's Rome, Calandra helps her father, a renowned sculptor, complete the most significant commission of his illustrious career. But then a catastrophic fire nearly destroys the imperial city, leaving Calandra reliant on a group of Christians—unusual individuals unlike any she has encountered before.