I am not one for fiction. It’s generally not my thing. I am not going to cast aspersions against it; I understand the power and value which can come from expanding the imagination through fiction.

And I can definitely appreciate well made historical fiction, especially when written with a view to provide colorful background to the world of the Old and New Testaments.

A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers is part of the “week in the life of” series published by Intervarsity Press (IVP) as exercises in historical imagination regarding the world of the New Testament.

We are introduced to Anthia, a free yet poor woman living in Ephesus around 58 CE. She is the wife of a fisherman and is pregnant with her second child. The book imagines her life over a given week, experiencing deep sadness and grief and the greatest joys and hope. She endures hunger and plenty. She calls upon the gods of her ancestors and her people.

But Anthia is placed in Ephesus around 58 CE for a reason: she will come across Paul of Tarsus and the Christians of Ephesus. The book chronicles her personal experiences with Paul and other Christians, sharing meals, visiting an assembly, and receiving hospitality from a Christian who is a social superior. Throughout we are invited into her thought processes as she engages and interacts with the Christians and their ideas.

Throughout the book are side notes providing historical explanations for the places Anthia goes, the situations in which Anthia finds herself, the nature of her relationships, etc., all of which intend to reinforce how whereas Anthia is fictional, we would be likely to meet a person very much like Anthia and her family and neighbors if we were to visit Ephesus in the middle of the first century CE.

The work succeeds well at its purpose: the reader walks away with a greater appreciation and understanding of what it might have been like to be in Ephesus at that time, and can better read Acts and other parts of the New Testament as a result.

At first, I thought this was a non-fiction book, so the fact that it’s a novel was a pleasant surprise. The story follows Anthia, the young wife of an Ephesian fisherman for exactly one week.

Anthia has a young son, and the story starts with her losing her best friend to a difficult childbirth. As Anthia, her husband, and son walk back and forth to the market each day, they pass a public place where the Apostle Paul holds discussions with the citizens of Ephesus.

The book has many sidebars and photos filled with historical facts about the city, its citizens, the social classes, and way of life. The author also incorporates many of these into the story, as well. I read many of them with horrid fascination, and the book helped give me the historical context for many of the writings of Paul that I take umbrage with as a woman living in the 20th Century—for a man of his time, he actually espoused a very liberal, forward-thinking view of women.

This book is part of a series by different authors, and I don’t know if it follows a certain format common to all of them (fiction mixed with facts, and a rather abrupt, unresolved ending), or if it is the only one in this format.

The book leaves the reader with more questions than answers (regarding the plot), and more answers than questions (regarding life in Ephesus during that time period).

A fascinating book, well researched and well written. It's engrossing and informative and full of information.
I loved the style of writing and how the book is organized.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I enjoyed the historical aspects of this book even though it angers me how women have been treated through history. The errors I this book I hope will be fixed before publication.

Another great book in the series of “A Week in the Life of…” These books are a brilliant way to bring information about Biblical context in an easy to consume narrative. I particularly enjoyed reading a book from a woman’s perspective, which didn’t hold back the punches of the harsh reality of being a woman in this society. It is not often that we here the voices of woman in Greco-Roman times. Holly Beers uses a fictional story to inform us about families, culture, religion, money and health in the period the New Testament was written. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the background of the writings of the New Testament, particularly Paul’s letters.

This book is partly fiction and partly nonfiction and covered events from the point of view of a poor, married, pregnant woman in Ephesus who witnesses the events of Acts 18-20 and decides if she will follow Jesus (and no other gods). The story read like a documentary show that's primarily made up of fictional reenactments to illustrate the points. The purpose was to educate readers (in an entertaining way) about the cultural background of the first-century Greco-Roman church so that we can better understand the New Testament.

The book contained some nice black-and-white pictures of ruins and archaeological artifacts that illustrated information in the non-fiction sidebars or events in the story. A lot of educational material was worked into the story and additional information was provided in "sidebars" (which could take up whole pages) that were placed within the story.

In the fictional part, we basically followed the main character through her daily life, but with some significant encounters during that week and ending with a critical decision. I thought that the author did a good job with the educational points that she brought out. Overall, I'd recommend this book to people who aren't very familiar with the cultural background to the New Testament and who aren't interested in pure nonfiction books on the topic.

A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers brings the ancient city of Ephesus to life for modern readers. As a preacher, it is my job to attempt to bring the scripture to life every Sunday. It is always my goal to make the first century world that Jesus walked come to life for my congregation; however, this takes a great deal of time and study. That is why I am so grateful for books like this one.

Beers, an associate professor of religious studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, does a fabulous job of helping the reader to imagine what life was really liked during the time that St. Paul was preaching and teaching.  The majority of the book is a fictional account of the daily life of a woman named Anthia who lived in Ephesus. Although Anthia and her story are imaginary, the challenges she faces were are all too real for the majority of women in the ancient world. She deals with an abusive husband, the dangers of childbirth, unsanitary living conditions, and the gnawing hunger of a subsistence diet. Anthia's life seems truly bleak until one day she encounters a man named Paul. Soon, she meets other followers of The Way and is exposed to ideas that make her question everything she has ever known. 

My favorite part of this book were the realistic and gritty details. Beers does not shy away from exploring the many real dangers and tragedies that people faced in ancient Greco-Roman society. I also appreciated the side bars interspersed throughout the text. These sidebars included diverse information about everything from cosmetics, superstitions surrounding childbirth, and slavery.  

The only gentle criticism I have about this book is that Anthia's story felt rather incomplete. I would have preferred a more solid ending.  Nevertheless, I'm certain that I will reference this book in the future when I am preparing sermons, especially sermons based on Paul's epistles.

Holly Beers gives us an insightful peek into the daily lives of women during the Greco-Roman era. Set in Ephesus, this boom explores what it would have been like for a woman of this period to hear the radical teachings of the apostle Paul. The book features side segments throughout with historical information on the society, the norms, and daily life that enrich the text.

As a former history teacher and a women’s ministry leader, I loved this book. I found it insightful and it really helped put some of the teachings of Paul into context. The story, while fictional, was written so well the main character felt real! The only negative I found with the book was that I desired a little bit more closure for her. Overall, an amazing read and I highly recommend it for those looking for a better understanding of why Christianity proves radical.