Author: Patricia St. John
Recommended Age: 12-14
Date Published: 1970
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary: Onesimus is a slave who will do anything for freedom. When he is accused of stealing from a goldsmith, Onesimus knows that Archippus, his young master, is to blame. Determined for revenge, Onesimus’ actions lead to mistakes he would do anything to change.
Notes from The Radical Reader:
- Noble Characters: The teachings of the Jewish rabbi known as Jesus have begun affecting the world as Onesimus knows it. And he is determined to stay away from the gospel teachings that haunt him and threaten his dream of freedom.
- Captivating Plots: Patricia St. John takes Biblical and historical facts and weaves them together in this epic story of revenge, slavery, and freedom that is sure to delight all ages of readers!
- Elaborate Worlds: Set in the decades following Christ’s teaching, crucifixion, and resurrection, Twice Freed provides a look into the story of Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave, and the story behind the letter the Apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament.
Noteworthy Elements:
- Violence: Overcome by grief and confusion, Onesimus twice contemplates drowning himself in the river. The phrasing is not graphic.
- Sexual Tension: Though not explicit, there is a reference to the sailors boasting in “the orgies in which they would take place that night” and how “the goddess of love would provide free pleasure for all”.
- Profanity: The phrase “threatening him with hellfire” is used to describe the anger growing between Onesimus and the bailiff.
