Search for the Cross

Empress Helena is determined to find the tomb of Jesus. Sylvia's family is determined to marry her off. The journey they embark on will change them both. Not long ago, Emperor Constantine ruled for toleration of Christianity and gave it a favored status in the Roman Empire. But for some Christians,like young Sylvia's parents,it was too late. They had already been martyred. For those left alive, shifting loyalties in 325 C.E. made the danger far from over. When the powerful Empress Helena decides to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Sylvia, now of marriageable age, is chosen to be one of her maids. Helena must grapple with the woes of dealing with a dysfunctional family, including her son, Emperor Constantine. Will she find the empty tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem? Sylvia's family is set on marrying her off to the best suitor. But what about her dreams of love? Might there be something bigger than either has dreamed at the end of their journey? Walk into the tumultuous Roman Empire at a turning point in history,when Christianity is being tolerated, but paganism still reigns. Leila Merrell Foster, also the author of Life Among the Pagans and Life Among the Christians, is a United Methodist minister, a clinical psychologist, and a lawyer. She has a Ph.D. and a J.D. from Northwestern University and an M.Div. from Garrett Theological Seminary. She has written some 56 adult books, chapters, articles, videotape scripts, and 23 children's books.