Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle

Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle
Stand Alone Novel
Tyndale Fiction (January 23, 2024)

Review by Kelly Goshorn

So right out of the gate, let me say this was a stunning debut by Jamie Ogle. And this praise comes after hesitation to read a book set in ancient Rome. While I absolutely love historical fiction, ancient history and biblical fiction are not my go-to eras. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Of Love and Treason.

Of Love and Treason tells the story of Valens, a Christian in the city of Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, better known to us as St. Valentine. As the story opens, we learn that the emperor has banned marriages for soldiers, and Valentine, a “public notarius,” feels the ban is unfair. Believing marriage is a God-given right, Valens decides to perform marriages in secret, even though he knows if he gets caught it could mean execution. Leading an underground Christian church is also a dangerous affair, but Valentine is determined to live by his convictions.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailer, was blinded in an accident many years prior and her father has gone into debt trying to placate the Roman gods in order to restore his daughter’s sight. After Iris and Valentine meet, he promises to pray for her to his Christian God. Iris is quite skeptical, but soon she gets a temporary moment of sight. Valentine’s aunt and friends help lead Iris to faith in Jesus, but Iris and her father struggle with the idea that the Christian God can heal blindness, but does not promise to make life perfect and danger-free for His people.

Ogle did a phenomenal job creating three-dimensional characters making me laugh, cry, and sigh as the story unfolded. The depth of the characters impressed me as they were both laudable and flawed. I especially appreciated the humanity of the Christian characters, facing persecution and experiencing moments of fear, regrets, or doubts as they worked out their faith.

“Even in the sadness, God has given me deepest joy. How? I clung to Him. Tighter than I ever thought possible. I had to. If I didn’t, I’d have clung to my grief and turned bitter. I clung to God until He became my everything. And once He was my everything, I needed nothing else.”

~Jamie Ogle, Of Love and Treason

I already mentioned that ancient history isn’t my jam. However, Jamie Ogle may change my mind on that. Her descriptive storytelling brought Rome to life. From the markets to the prison, the hob nail boots of the Roman soldiers and the every day life of Roman citizens, every detail was vivid in my mind’s eye and the smell of baking bread and perfumes tickled my senses.

It always amazes me when an author or filmmaker can create a story world where we already know the ending (Apollo 13) yet somehow they manage to keep you on the edge of your seat. In this case, hoping against all reason that the story will end differently. So, while it may feel like the ending is given away up front, I think you will find the journey worth taking with Valens and the early church.

I very happily give Of Love and Treason five well-deserved fish.

I listened to this story via Audible. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, Lillian Kelly, and would highly recommend this as an auidobook.