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This emotive, spiritually themed saga begins with the dream of a seventeen-year-old boy. Caleb has lost his father and cares for his mother and brother. Still, his visions of the Messiah are prompting him to go on a great quest. The most recent dream depicts the boy sharing his bread and fish with those who have gathered to hear Jesus. As a follower of the Way, Caleb feels compelled to seek the crown of thorns that Jesus proffers to him in the dream. He sets out to find a man named Justus, who is said to have spoken of the crown and might have a clue as to where to find it. Justus sends him to yet another character in Caleb's dedicated search. This is Barus, a man who, it is said, is rough and dangerous.
Each phase of Caleb's journey will introduce new names and faces, but none will be more significant to the young man than Rebekah, a fifteen-year-old girl. Their acquaintance begins when Caleb attempts to save her from physical attack by two Roman soldiers, inadvertently causing one of them to be speared. Bekah, as he calls her, is a victim of Roman cruelty, having lost her family to the conquerors at an early age. Caleb and Bekah travel along together, exploring many winding paths to the man Caleb seeks. In the process, the two are threatened and, for a time, captured by the Romans, becoming the evil obsession of a brutal officer, Processus, who is determined to turn Rebekah into a prostitute for his men. Having encountered a friendly centurion, Caleb's life is spared for the time being. Once he manages to escape, he finds himself with two compelling mandates: to find Barus and ask about the sacred crown, and to locate and rescue his cherished Bekah.
Author Delorie has previously created a series of futuristic fantasy books rooted in Christian principles and relying on his technical career knowledge. In this new venture, he steers through a more simple setting—the tumultuous years following the crucifixion of Jesus—in which he draws on historical facts, such as the pervasive negative influence of the Roman domination of the Holy Land, contrasted with the tenacity of the devout followers of Jesus. Through Caleb, he shows how the tenets of the religion might have grown and spread during that seminal time. Though Caleb, Rebekah, Barus, and others are fictional creations, there are references also to historical figures like the apostles John and Paul, as well as biblical happenings like the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Throughout the story, readers see Caleb develop from a starry-eyed young pilgrim to a true teacher of the word who can gather a crowd, speak the truth, and occasionally evoke miraculous happenings. Rebekah, too, demonstrates innate abilities as a proponent of their faith. Their adventures are painted vividly, almost cinematically, by Delorie. They combine rugged realism with moments of tenderness and religious revelation. The book's ending implies a sequel that Delorie's fans will doubtless welcome.