Ronke Jimoh-Olaoye (El_Ronkis)

Amora is an historical novel based on the true life story of a noble woman who inspired Justin Martyr’s petition to the Rome senate which had its setting in the ancient Rome. It is an expression of deep human inner feelings and emotions. Amora the daughter of a high classed noble family, has all she could ever craved for; a loving husband and a beautiful daughter. All this became forgotten as the birth of her son led to turn of events. The central theme of the novel is Love, Forgiveness and Vengeance. In a world of chaos and befuddling circumstances, finding peace and reason to keep living became Amora’s greatest pursuit. Having lost her dear daughter Natalie to a sudden harsh death, and trying to keep a deformed Esteban alive which was against the society’s approval. She began to understand what pain really felt like; she felt the deep pains of loss and rejection from her own supposed true friends including her loving husband Leo who continually snubbed and blames her for all the catastrophes that has befallen them. A new mishap surfaced, as Leo embarked on a long business trip to Egypt, separating himself the more from his family. Struggling to find comfort, Amora took it upon herself to help the less privileged in the society, she found solace in religion and converted to Christianity, placing herself head-on with Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his officials. Hallstrom married the sad predicaments of the couple’s life with consciousness. And between, Amora’s work for orphans and unmarried mothers intensified the tension as she stood against the aristocrats and the whole thing Roman Empire stood for from her own position. Amora is the most emotional historical story I have ever read, it is so visual that I could picture everything like I visited the location of the events. Hallstorm’s writing is superb and rich in details, I could not drop this book until I finished it. It made me understood to an extent the political state of the Greco-Roman world and really help me to appreciate the early Christian troubles, sacrifices and endurance. Hallstrom is a great writer and did a beautiful story telling which made readers to experience empathy and the reality of the deep feelings we all experience at different points in life. The most of all is the lesson learnt from this superbly written book; Love will always win against all odds and revenge and un-forgiveness will further lead to hurt and pain in the life of any human. Kudos to Grant J. Hallstrom on this, I recommend this book you’ll not be disappointed.