This historical novel is about transformative changes in a fictional family in first-century Judaea. It is set against the backdrop of the controversial ministry of an itinerant preacher and healer from Galilee, of an ambitious and opportunistic politician who will do anything to satisfy his own selfish desires, of a powerful occupation army that is determined to maintain peace on its own terms, and of the hopes and dreams of ordinary people in an ever-changing world. This is not a story about Jesus, as such, but it is about the everyday life of some of the hard-working people who could have been his neighbors, and about their struggle to understand the exciting, new teacher. The story contains elements of faith, love, community, conflict, justice, hope, and personal growth.