The Missing Maiden

Shannon Whitmore reviews a historical novel for tween and teen readers, new from Ignatius Press.

I have always been fascinated by the lives of people living in different countries, cultures, and times. History has never been my favorite subject, but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for historical fiction. I might never willingly pick up a history textbook, but I do love a good historical novel. Sophie de Mullenheim’s The Missing Maiden is just the type of novel I would have picked up as a middle- or high-school student. Even as an adult, I found it to be the kind of page-turner that is hard to put down and easy to share. I’ll definitely be holding onto this book until my children are old enough to read it, so that I can share it with them. 

The Missing Maiden takes place in Rome in the midst of the persecution of Christians by the pagan government. In fact, the book opens with a scene from the Colosseum: the martyrdom of six Christians. It then fast-forwards six months, introducing the reader to three young men who are searching for a young woman who had recently gone missing. As the plot thickens, each character has the opportunity to grow and mature. The coward finds courage. The conflicted finds resolution. The searching finds the truth. And all along, everyone is looking for Octavia, the missing maiden. 

As paths cross and lives intertwine, the reader is taken along for a ride that is part mystery, part adventure, and part conversion story. The Missing Maiden is the perfect book for young readers who are exploring themes like friendship, truth, and faith in their own lives. Young readers will easily find a bit of themselves in each of the characters. They will gain a deeper appreciation of the risks involved in conversion to Christianity before the rise of Constantine, as well as the reasons that pagans found Christianity so attractive.

With the summer months quickly approaching, I would highly recommend the In the Shadows of Rome series for any parents who want engaging books for their preteens and teens. The Missing Maiden is the sixth installment in the series. 

Copyright 2023 Shannon Whitmore
Images: Canva