In "Perpetua: A Tale of Nimes in A.D. 213," S. Baring-Gould presents a richly woven narrative that intertwines historical fact with imaginative storytelling, drawing upon the early Christian martyrdom of Perpetua. Set against the backdrop of Roman North Africa, the novel captures the tension between burgeoning Christian faith and the oppressive pagan regime of the time. Baring-Gould's prose is bot...