Teenagers Inspiration Series - 5 Different books - A Trace in the Sand, The Purple Mantle, Diamonds on the Bosphorus, Father Herman: Alaska's Saint, Beginnings of a Life of Prayer, Multiple Book Discounts 20% off
Each one of these books will help set your Teen on an inspirational journey towards God!
Book 1: A Trace in the Sand
by Efrosyni Zisimou Robinson
It is A.D. 274. Emperor Lucius Domitus Aurelianus rules the Roman Empire with the belief that no one is mightier than he and his gods. Kings tremble before him, and his subjects worship him as a new Jupiter, who holds the lives of men and nations in his hand. The “Roman Peace” means prosperity, security and happiness to the noble families of Rome. And all should be content in their lives of luxury and ease. But not everyone is …
Alexamenos, the teenage son of the powerful Senator Poplius, wants to know what the purpose of his perfect life is. Handsome and rich, haughty and cruel, Alexamenos fears nothing and respects no one—until the day his life is saved by the slave boy Milvius. Finally, Alexamenos has met someone who possesses something that he cannot attain: an otherworldly peace.
Soon the slave’s secret to happiness is revealed with a simple trace in the sand: Milvius is a Christian. The power of his Christian Faith wakens the Senator’s household to the call of God, but little do they know that the eyes of the Imperial Palace are on them. Before long the former pagans are facing danger, persecution, and even martyrdom.
A Trace in the Sand is a novel for young people originally published in the Greek language. It is a collaborative work by Orthodox Christians in Greece, where it has gone through seven editions.
Paperback, 192 pages $12.00
Book 2: The Purple Mantle
by Aliki Kafetzopoulou
Set in the Roman Empire during the reign of the notorious persecutor of Christians, Emperor Diocletian (a.d. 303), THE PURPLE MANTLE is a moving story of faith and heroism amidst a society plagued by confusion and fear. Greek Orthodox author Aliki Kafetzopoulou (reposed on February 24, 2005) has skillfully woven a rich historical tapestry full of spiritual depth, presenting a vivid picture of the intense circumstances in which the ancient Christians lived, and a close-up, immediate view of the exploits and contests of the early martyrs, through which the Faith of Christ triumphed.
This story brings to life in vivid clarity the choices faced by people very much like ourselves—between the ephemeral comforts and grandeur of this world and the eternal joy and glory of the world to come. In a certain respect we make these choices daily even now—for example, when we choose television over spiritual reading and prayer, and when we choose the ease of material possessions and the accumulation of wealth over charity and acts of mercy. Yet, in a very literal sense, we may someday be forced to make the same choices as did many of the characters of the story, at the risk of our very lives.
“…His strength was leaving him. His life was ebbing away. This fresh flower was closing its petals before it had even had a chance to open them all the way; but it was closing them now in order to be able to open them again, refreshed, unfading and eternal, in the garden of everlasting heavenly joy….
“Then he leaned his head on the coals of fire and let his last look fall on Helianos. And his gaze stayed fixed there, until the fire went out in ashes and smoke….
“With his eyes full of tears, Helianos stared with shock. He held the young martyr’s last look inside himself with a sacred passion, indelible in the depths of his memory and heart. He felt like running toward him, putting his arms into the fire to hug and kiss him, and asking him secretly: ‘Tell me … tell me … what secrets does this faith of yours hold that you love it so much? Tell me, so I can love it too!’”
—excerpt from THE PURPLE MANTLE
Although written especially for young adults, this historical novel has enthralled people of all ages with its riveting narrative. Carefully tracing the spiritual awakening and growth of a young man and woman, it places in striking relief the essence of all Christian life.
This book is now in it's new, second edition, and includes a brief biography of the author.
Paperback $12.00
Book 3: Diamonds on the Bosphorus
by Aliki Kafetzopoulou
Constantinople in a.d. 400 is the greatest city of its era—the throne of the Roman Empire with streets of marble and churches adorned in gold. But not all is right in the imperial capital: the empress Eudoxia has begun a persecution of the city’s great pastor and preacher, St. John Chrysostom.
Diamonds on the Bosphorus—an historical novel for young people—is the story of the choice made by Christians throughout the centuries: to follow the path of Christ or the path of worldly glory.
Nicephorus and his twin sister, Juliana, have dwelt their entire lives in the shadow of Constantinople on the shores of the Bosphorus—the majestic waterway connecting the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. As the children of the pious fisherman Theodotus, they have been raised in the Christian virtues, devoting themselves to serving others. Their greatest joy is to hear the divine words of the righteous bishop St. John Chrysostom.
On the verge of becoming adults, Nicephorus and Juliana have their lives turned upside-down with the revelation of their true identities. Suddenly, the paths of these simple fishers have become irreversibly intertwined with intrigue in the imperial court and the persecutions raised against St. John.
Aliki Kafetzopoulou (1924–2005) was a teacher in Athens, Greece, who devoted much of her life to works of Christian charity through the Orthodox lay sisterhood "Hope." She is the author of The Purple Mantle and several other popular books in Greek, aimed at the formation of the soul.
Paperback, 144 pages $13.00
Book 4: Father Herman: Alaska's Saint
by F.A. Golder
In 1794 a group of Russian missionaries from Valaam Monastery arrived in Kodiak, Alaska. For the next forty years one member of their party would remain, enduring hunger, cold, and mockery. Today he is universally recognized as a Saint of the Orthodox Church: St. Herman of Alaska.
St. Herman's love for the Kodiak natives manifested itself in his service to them throughout his life. He was the protector of the persecuted, a nurse to the sick, and a father to orphans. As a hermit on Spruce Island, he was a friend of God and of angels. Even today the natives of Alaska refer to him as their father, a connection that has never been broken.
In 1914, F.A. Golder, a leading scholar on the American Northwest at the turn of the century, spent two weeks at Valaam Monastery located on Lake Ladoga (between present-day Russia and Finland). Golder went to Valaam to learn of this missionary monk who was sent to America to bring the Orthodox Faith to the natives of the land.
The present volume contains Golder's Life of St. Herman and a collection of the Saint's miracles, spanning from the time of his repose to our own times. Included is a contemporary pilgrim's description of Spruce Island, the site of St. Herman's labors, miracles, and repose.
72 pages, illustrated with paper-cut illustrations, paperback $8.00
Book 5: Beginnings of a Life of Prayer
by Archimandrite Irenei
The beginnings of prayer arise from the longing of the heart to know God, to rest in Him Who showed His love upon the precious Cross, to abide in the fullness of communion with Him. In the present book—a primer on prayer—Archimandrite Irenei first prepares the ground by helping us to count the cost (Luke 14:28) of our lives as Christians, to take stock of the spiritual struggle we must undertake if we are to ascend toward God in prayer. Then, based on a sober appraisal of our lowly condition and of the worldly and demonic influences that assail us, he helps us to adorn our inward beings as temples of prayer.
Paperback 128 pages, $12