She serves as a slave to a teenaged Roman woman named Julia, whose parents marry her off to a much older man.

Meanwhile, she struggles with her love for Julia's older brother, Marcus, thinking it's a trick from Satan to lead her away from God.

[4] As she struggles to remain close to God, her hard life and difficult challenges are just beginning to the extent she is thrown to the lions.

The story goes into many different side characters, such as the young gladiator Atretes, who—as well as the main characters—are all searching for peace and purpose but unable to find it in the world of pleasures Rome has to offer.

Throughout the entire novel, Hadassah's Christian faith (kept a secret for fear of death) is continually challenged and evolved, helping her overcome the harsher aspects as life as a slave in the Roman Empire.