Abi of Cyrene; The Girl Who Loved Simon, by Mary Lou Cheatham, 2015

Who Were Abi and Simon of Cyrene?

Simon of Cyrene carried the cross of Christ. Who was he? Mary Lou Cheatham weaves a tale of his life as seen through the eyes of his wife, another obscure Bible character.

A beautiful woman from Nubia, Abi accompanies Simon, her betrothed, on a long journey via camel and boat to Cyrene, her new home in North Africa. Both are descendants of King David and Solomon. Abi is also a descendant of the Queen of Sheba. They proudly follow their Jewish traditions.

Simon is a trader, and travels far and wide. Abi stays home with his family, managing the estate and raising their sons, until the day comes when Simon takes them to celebrate Passover at the temple in Jerusalem.

The Passover Lamb

Abi hopes to sacrifice a Passover lamb for the forgiveness of her sins. But what is all the commotion going on when they arrive? Some sort of horrible rebellion, with people shouting for the King of the Jews to be crucified. Who is this man, and what has he done?

From the beginning of Abi’s tale, I was drawn in. What would become of her? Her experiences and thoughts became mine as I read.

Mary Lou Cheatham gives us a glimpse into the lives of the people at the time, personalized through the eyes of Abi. We learn how it may have been that Simon of Cyrene came to be the one to carry the cross of Christ, and the dynamic effect of the crucifixion and resurrection on this little family. What will it mean to them?

Visit Mary’s author page on Amazon.com to find this and other books by Mary Lou Cheatham.