LETTERS TO CEPHAS: BOOK ONE

A fictionalized account of the Apostle Thomas’ travels following Jesus’ Crucifixion.

Villoth’s book, the first in a series, begins with the death of Thomas (here called “Thoma”) before flashing back to the Crucifixion of Christ (here called “Yeshua”) and Thoma’s subsequent journeys to preach the Gospel. An editor’s note reveals that the story has been reconstructed from scrolls found in the writer’s “ancestral house”: letters from Thomas to the Apostle Peter, called “Cephas” in the text. The use of Hebrew names for the characters can be confusing for readers trying to link the Hebrew names to their better-known biblical counterparts, but this choice lends authenticity to the story and helps maintain Villoth’s rich mood. The prose is voluptuous and imaginative, with sentences that twist and turn around the sights and smells of the ancient world as Thoma makes his way from Jerusalem to India: e.g., “…the tapestry of busy-ness being woven together by every living strand of muscle and sinew that was Damascus.” Plot-wise, the nature of Thoma’s relationship with his brother Yeshua is hinted at, though it never becomes abundantly clear. At one point, Thoma writes, “Yeshua betrayed us!...He who could mend bones, bestow sight, exorcise demons, he could not do that for us, at Golgotha?”; ultimately, though, readers never get a clear sense of Thoma’s emotional arc. The plot meanders somewhat, sometimes getting lost in the details, though it maintains a line of ancient mysticism that unifies Thoma’s experiences, including his encountering people of various faiths and discovering the ways early Christianity intersects. Clearly well-versed in the religious and political dimensions of the time, Villoth brings new insight into biblical territory, but these details can get in the way of plot and character development, which may turn off readers looking for a good story rather than a fictional take on biblical times.

Compelling and well-researched, yet not quite relatable.