An example of Christian historical fiction at its finest.
A debut novel that tells the story of the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of those around him.
The tale of Jesus is known the world over, and whether you’re a believer, an admirer or a skeptic, you’re sure to know his story. This latest work to detail Jesus’ life opens in King Herod’s castle as the king considers the prophecy of the next Messiah, before he orders the killing of every male child in Bethlehem. As the work progresses, it runs parallel to the Gospels, but is told through the points of view of Jesus’ peers, friends and followers; Nicodemus and Caiaphas, for example, discuss Jesus’ growing influence. The story carries all the way through Jesus’ life, from his birth to his time in the temple, and finally, to the Crucifixion, adding new life to Bible stories along the way. Several of the main players of Jesus’ life, including Pontius Pilate, John the Baptist and Lazarus, are present in the text, adding validity and heft to the work. Lee uses imagination and historical research to flesh out his story, going so far as to include a bibliography of consulted works and a list of books for further reading. Some readers may find the actual Bible somewhat dry, and it’s not easy for some to get through; Lee paints a more enticing, more readable picture of what it was like to live in the time of Jesus, with vivid descriptions (“There had been unleavened bread dipped in sweet sauce, wine, and rice with leeks; there had been the music of pipe and lyre; there had been laughter and the singing of psalms”) and engaging dialogue. With this book, readers can watch Jesus Christ evolve in his teachings and practices, from his time as a young scholar in the temple to his martyrdom. It may encourage further reading of the original text by Christians seeking deeper meaning, or by newcomers hoping to learn more about Jesus Christ, the man. The original music in the back of the book, composed by Aran Lee, adds a lovely touch.
An example of Christian historical fiction at its finest.Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-1490800219
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: March 21, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Hoffman (The Red Garden, 2011, etc.) births literature from tragedy: the destruction of Jerusalem's Temple, the siege of Masada and the loss of Zion.
This is a feminist tale, a story of strong, intelligent women wedded to destiny by love and sacrifice. Told in four parts, the first comes from Yael, daughter of Yosef bar Elhanan, a Sicarii Zealot assassin, rejected by her father because of her mother's death in childbirth. It is 70 CE, and the Temple is destroyed. Yael, her father, and another Sicarii assassin, Jachim ben Simon, and his family flee Jerusalem. Hoffman's research renders the ancient world real as the group treks into Judea's desert, where they encounter Essenes, search for sustenance and burn under the sun. There too Jachim and Yael begin a tragic love affair. At Masada, Yael is sent to work in the dovecote, gathering eggs and fertilizer. She meets Shirah, her daughters, and Revka, who narrates part two. Revka's husband was killed when Romans sacked their village. Later, her daughter was murdered. At Masada, caring for grandsons turned mute by tragedy, Revka worries over her scholarly son-in-law, Yoav, now consumed by vengeance. Aziza, daughter of Shirah, carries the story onward. Born out of wedlock, Aziza grew up in Moab, among the people of the blue tunic. Her passion and curse is that she was raised as a warrior by her foster father. In part four, Shirah tells of her Alexandrian youth, the cherished daughter of a consort of the high priests. Shirah is a keshaphim, a woman of amulets, spells and medicine, and a woman connected to Shechinah, the feminine aspect of God. The women are irretrievably bound to Eleazar ben Ya'ir, Masada's charismatic leader; Amram, Yael's brother; and Yoav, Aziza's companion and protector in battle. The plot is intriguingly complex, with only a single element unresolved. An enthralling tale rendered with consummate literary skill.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1747-4
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Constructed with delicacy, lyricism, and care, Hertmans’ novel still feels occasionally static.
A Christian woman and a Jewish man fall in love in medieval France.
In 1088, a Christian girl of Norman descent falls in love with the son of a rabbi. They run away together, to disastrous effect: Her father sends knights after them, and though they flee to a small southern village where they spend a few happy years, their budding family is soon decimated by a violent wave of First Crusaders on their way to Jerusalem. The girl, whose name becomes Hamoutal when she converts to Judaism, winds up roaming the world. Hertmans’ (War and Turpentine, 2016, etc.) latest novel is based on a true story: The Cairo Genizah, a trove of medieval manuscripts preserved in an Egyptian synagogue, contained an account of Hamoutal’s plight. Hamoutal makes up about half of Hertmans’ novel; the other half is consumed by Hertmans’ own interest in her story. Whenever he can, he follows her journey: from Rouen, where she grew up, to Monieux, where she and David Todros—her Jewish husband—made a brief life for themselves, and all the way to Cairo, and back. “Knowing her life story and its tragic end,” Hertmans writes, “I wish I could warn her of what lies ahead.” The book has a quiet intimacy to it, and in his descriptions of landscape and travel, Hertmans’ prose is frequently lovely. In Narbonne, where David’s family lived, Hertmans describes “the cool of the paving stones in the late morning, the sound of doves’ wings flapping in the immaculate air.” But despite the drama of Hamoutal’s story, there is a static quality to the book, particularly in the sections where Hertmans describes his own travels. It’s an odd contradiction: Hertmans himself moves quickly through the world, but his book doesn’t quite move quickly enough.
Constructed with delicacy, lyricism, and care, Hertmans’ novel still feels occasionally static.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5247-4708-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Pantheon
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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