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
None of the characters shine enough to inspire or enlighten readers.
A tale of several generations of women cursed to love men who love other women.
As the book opens, Gabriela Siton relates the story of her mother Luna’s death, and in describing her final year, Yishai-Levi, a journalist and nonfiction author, captures the family dynamic and lays out the drama—Luna doesn’t get along with Gabriela; she’s unhappy with her husband, David; she didn’t get along with her mother, Rosa; and all this has left Gabriela at loose ends. Gabriela seeks answers from her Aunt Allegra in Tel Aviv, trying to understand the family “curse,” and then the book shifts mostly to Rosa’s and Luna’s viewpoints. It abruptly shifts back in the end to Gabriela’s, skipping over years, when earlier, the narrative plodded slowly through days. There are so many characters that we only get a brief look at some of them, and so many disappointments and heartbreaks that they begin to lose their impact. Ordinary lives can be made beautiful, but when they belong to characters who are either unsympathetic or rudimentary, they are rendered ineffective. The characters’ faith, which influences so many of the important decisions in their lives, mostly comes across as routine, habit, or even superstition. Some of the characters become involved in the struggle for modern Israel, and their political fervor is similarly underdeveloped.
None of the characters shine enough to inspire or enlighten readers.Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-250-07816-2
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Dunne/St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
A product less than a book; those with not enough time on their hands might spend what they have more meaningfully elsewhere.
Treacly fable by pop inspirationalist Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie, 1997, etc.).
Dava Sobel and Longitude be damned, God doesn’t like people who measure things. Six thousand–odd years ago—is the date a nod to Archbishop Ussher and his proto-creationism?—a fine young fellow named Dor invents the world’s first clock and is banished to a cave for the affront, since only the deity is supposed to be concerned with such things, it being the days before hourly wage work and lawyers who bill in 15-minute increments. Dor now sits in a cave, “listening to something. Voices. Endless voices.” And what do you suppose those voices want? Yup, time. More of it. Endless time. Or at least a year or two. Writing in his customary staccato (“But Father Time is real. And, in truth, he cannot age.”), Albom gives Dor a chance to redeem himself by instructing two hapless earthlings—a man dying of cancer, a teenage girl in danger of dying by her own hand—in the meaning of life. The Little Prince it ain’t: Albom seems to have taken the template for his novel from a corporate report, each page studded with boldfaced passages that would seem to signal something momentous; a person in a hurry could well read just those boldfaced passages and emerge with a pretty good idea of the storyline, which is plenty predictable in any event. Still, there are a few useful takeaways, among them these: If you’re moribund, a pocket watch will cheer you right up; if you’re worried about the prospect of imminent demise, then remember that, as the old dude who cometh from God’s side sayeth, immortality “is not a gift.”
A product less than a book; those with not enough time on their hands might spend what they have more meaningfully elsewhere.Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4013-2278-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
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