Molly Jacobson

Raised like sisters, Mariamne and Salome are indulged with riches and learning - a rare thing for females in ancient Jerusalem. But Mariamne has a further gift: an illness has left her with the power of prophecy. After seven years in exile, they return to a Judea, where many now believe John the Baptizer is the messiah. Salome too begins to believe, but Mariamne, now called Magdalene, is drawn to his cousin, Yeshu'a, a man touched by the divine in the same way she was during her days of illness.

Years before she became the celebrated speaker and Unity minister she is today, Edwene Gaines was raising her daughter in abject poverty. Overwhelmed and terrified, she turned toward her faith for reassurance, sustenance, and finally for direction. What seemed impossible at the time, she did anyway. She gave away 10 percent of every cent that came to her, and when her income tripled in a matter of six months, she knew it was the work of God.