A riveting, historical tale set in first-century Rome, The Divining chronicles one young woman’s spiritual quest to discover her destiny through the powerful gift of second sight—and save entire future generations.
Ancient Rome: 54 C.E. Nineteen-year-old Ulrika is plagued with strange visions and dreams. In order to discover the truth behind her past and her unusual powers, Ulrika embarks on a dangerous journey to her father’s homeland, Germania. There, she discovers her calling, a rare gift known as the Divining.
Sent on a quest to find her destiny, she travels far and wide, from ancient Germania to the vast and exotic countries of Syria, Babylon, and Persia. Along the way she meets wise spiritual guides—men, women, and spirits alike—who teach her to harness her ability to heal and protect others. Ulrika’s journey also brings her close to the handsome trader Sebastianus Gallus, who must depart for his own quest to the Far East to gain riches for the powerful emperor Nero. But can Ulrika reunite with the man she loves, fulfill her profound destiny, and usher in a new era in Rome under the threatening rule of Nero?
A powerful, spiritual story of romance, betrayal, faith, and courage, The Divining stunningly brings to life one young woman’s daring role in shaping the entire ancient empire of Rome.
“A master storyteller." —Tulsa World
“An accomplished storyteller..” —John Jakes, New York Times bestselling author
“[Wood] never fails to leave the reader enthralled.” —Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, author of A Woman of Independent Means
New York Times bestselling author Barbara Wood has written twenty-five books to date, which have been translated into over thirty languages. Barbara transports her readers to exotic countries that she has meticulously researched to provide them with a true sense of the culture and history relevant to each story. She has visited every country she has written about and in fact does not feel comfortable writing about a country that she has not walked on or breathed its air. In addition, she feels that the country of origin is by far the best source for research information. But research for a book does not end there. Barbara immerses herself completely into the subject at hand. This includes extensive reading of books, newspapers, and magazines, internet research, as well as first hand interviews and contacting experts in the various subjects relevant to her current project.
At the heart of every book is a strong, independent woman. Barbara is busy working on her next story that will, no doubt, showcase an extraordinary heroine in an exciting and intriguing adventure. Her many characters are fictional, but some are based on people she knows and people who are in the news and in history. Interwoven throughout her books are elements of herself in the main characters. While the majority of events that take place are fiction, some of the characters' experiences are her own.
When not writing, Barbara often takes time to enjoy the work of other authors, and play golf with her husband, Walt
Maureen Jones knew she loved reading stories aloud ever since grade school. With two degrees in German literature and language, she immersed herself in novels and plays throughout university. As an actor and voice talent she's brought hundreds of characters to life and had a blast doing it. Audiobooks provide Jones with the opportunity to read books and act every single day. After all, her dad said that if she could get a job where she was paid to talk, she'd be golden.
Find Maureen behind the mic in other outstanding Cherry Hill Publishing audio productions including Barbara Wood's Soul Flame.