Reviewed by Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite

Karin Ciholas' gripping historical novel, The Lighthouse, is the story of Simon of Cyrene and is set in the Roman Empire in the 1st century CE. The novel was inspired by the historical figure of Simon of Cyrene, a Jew and physician. In the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, Simon of Cyrene was compelled by the Romans to carry the cross when Jesus fell under the weight of the burden. This is Book 1 of the Cyrenian Trilogy. Simon Ben Toubias, a Jew, grows up in Cyrene along the North African coast, part of the Roman Empire. Cyrene's society is complex, including Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Jews. When Simon's younger sister Rachel is kidnapped, he vows to find her. Simon becomes a physician at the Alexandria Museion, the best medical school in the Roman Empire. He remains in Alexandria, tending to patients from all walks of life and different cultures and faiths. With his extraordinary healing abilities and gifts, he becomes a personal physician to Alexandria's most influential men as he continues to search for his sister. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Karin Ciholas' immersive, fascinating, and multifaceted novel, The Lighthouse, for its complex characters and exceptional depiction of the Roman Empire. I particularly liked the character development of Simon of Cyrene, his inner struggles, and his transformative journey as an inner conflict gnaws at him. As a healer, he must keep his Hippocratic oath to save lives. But he also feels compelled to find and kill his sister's kidnapper. I liked the different settings, the drama of various situations, and the complex challenges that vividly bring out Simon's character as a Jew, a physician, a brother, someone who cares deeply about justice, is an independent thinker and speaks frankly about injustice and persecution under Roman rule. The story gained greater depth and intensity through the other remarkable characters central to Simon's character development. Among them is his best friend Valerius, a Roman; Aurelia, the younger sister of Valerius; and in Alexandria, Cydias, a physician and Simon's teacher who becomes his counselor and friend. The rich diversity of characters brings to life the power struggles and complex political, religious, social, and cultural dynamics from Cyrene to Alexandria to Rome to Jerusalem. The Lighthouse is a compelling and thought-provoking novel and a profoundly moving story of love, family, faith, loyalty, and hope. I loved the cover, a fantastic re-imagining of Alexandria with the  Rod of Asklepios on top of the Lighthouse. Great reading indeed.