Twice Freed by Patricia St. John

Onesimus, a slave to Philemon, longs to be free.  His desire to be free deepens when he meets Eirene, a rich merchant's daughter.  In his society, to have her as a wife, he must be free and have wealth.  He plots his way to his freedom, but discovers where true freedom resides.
He encounters many men of faith from the Bible. 
This book brings the reader to the setting and times of the early church.
I was going to have my eleven year old read this, but since Onesimus was so obsessed with  winning Eirene's love, I thought he would not enjoy it. 
Points to discuss: orgies to gods, Onesimus kills his friend when he is a gladiator
-I own this book.