Burton's first novel in this Biblical series tells the fictionalized tale of a young Jewish lady who makes and markets pottery to support her family. But when her brother's huge gambling debt threatens to enslave them, she convinces his creditor to marry her and forgive the debt. After her husband sends her to manage his herds in the hills far away, Abigail grows fond of its rustic inhabitants--and of an enigmatic shepherd-soldier who's on a collision course with her husband.