Cecilia tells the story of a young woman's search to find her place in a world that is rife with social upheaval and religious conflict. Born ito a noble Roman family in the second century, under the rule of the last of the "five good emperors," Marcus Aurelius, Cecilia seeks knowledge with the urgency and awkwardness typical of her tender age. But in a society where a woman's freedom to explore her beliefs, talents and ambitions is severely limited, Cecilia's quest amounts to a constant and painful confrontation with the world around her. Searching for light in a time of darkness and for answers among warring ideologies and beliefs, including the nascent Christian faith that she ultimately embraces, though not without her doubts, Cecilia is both a product of her times and a young woman at odds with her surroundings.

In Linda Ferri's elegant prose, Cecilia tells the story of a soul's progress. It recounts an enthralling journey from a restless and searching child to a woman endowed with the strength to risk her own death in defense of her beliefs.