“It was mid afternoon in early July and the world was, in general asleep.”

From Patricia St. John’s Twice Freed.

Onesimus is a young Greek slave who only dreams of one day buying his freedom, even though his master Philemon is a fair man.  The boy is constantly caught in the struggle of fulfilling his many duties and spending as much time exploring the surrounding hill sides.  Even though he dislikes everything about being a slave, Onesimus is content to wait and save until he can be free.  Until, that is, his master’s son (and Onesimus’ childhood friend), Archippus, accuses him of stealing and Onesimus is beaten for a crime the other boy committed.  After this, Onesimus is filled with hate for both his master and his own unbreakable bondage.  A business trip for Philemon and Archippus requires that Onesimus travel along, and while he is excited to travel across the country, Onesimus is constantly reminded that he is only a slave traveling with his masters.  Onesimus’ world is turned upside down when Philemon meets a religious leader/rebel named Paul; as everyone around him begins to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, skeptical Onesimus begins to see an opportunity to get his freedom now and be finished with his master (and his newfound God) forever.

St. John’s Christian historical fiction is nothing if not packed with historic information; there is a plethora of facts woven into each page of the story which makes for a unique read.  At times, the religious aspects seem to overtake the story, but it does help everything come full circle by the end.  The book’s most engaging aspect is definitely Onesimus’ character; he is real and honest, constantly growing through whatever his journey throws his way.  The writing style can be rough at times, but overall Twice Freed is pretty entertaining, especially for those familiar with the story of Philemon found in the Bible.