THE WOMEN’S ANGLE
ON MY NEW NOVEL
I was delighted to find that Nancy Ryan, book reviewer for Simply Hers, a regional women’s magazine covering south-central Michigan, fairly bubbles with enthusiasm for MY BROTHER’S KEEPER, which she describes as…
“a book of history, and, yes, entertainment. Even though we all know how it will end, I can’t put it down! It’s one of those stories you find yourself thinking of when you go about your daily routine.
“The author has matched the biblical account with historical writings from the first three centuries. He used Bible lore and writings of the early Christian period, including ‘gospels and testaments’ not contained in the sanctioned Bible.”
Nancy explains that the story is “told through the eyes of James, the older half-brother of Jesus,” and quotes my author’s reflection at the back of the book in which I note that my goal is…
“to tell a plausible story about human beings confronting the most extraordinary situation imaginable…”
Which is to say, God being present in human form — an extraordinary situation by any measure.
Nancy provides an excellent thumbnail sketch of the situation that sets my plot in motion…
“In this fictional story, we are introduced to Joseph. He is a highly regarded member of his community in Nazareth and descendant of the House of David. Caesar’s world of Rome has brought the citizenry all modern handiwork and has opened markets, with roads and sea lanes connecting them for trade to the vast empire. But the Jews hate the Romans and curse their taxes. They long to be rid of their pagan influences. Joseph is an established builder and carpenter. As such a respected community leader, he is asked by his friend Joachim to take his 14 year-old virgin daughter, Mary, to be his wife. Joachim is dying and needs to see Mary protected, as she will be alone in the world. Joseph is a widower with three married sons, two married daughters, and a 12 year-old son, James.
“As Mary is introduced to the family, things change in their compound. Daughters become jealous, sons try to placate their resentful wives, new pecking orders are established. What’s a man to do?! Between family conflicts, wars between the Romans and zealots, persecutions, the rise of James to Rabbi in the temple, politics of the times, and Jesus coming of age to change the course of the world — wow!”
Her verdict on the book?…
“Whether you are a Christian or not, this is an awesome read.”
Who am I to say otherwise?
The current eBook edition of MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is available in all digital reader formats for $5.99 from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and other online eBook retailers. Additional information about the book can be found by clicking here.
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You can read Nancy Ryan’s review of MY BROTHER’S KEEPER online and scan the entire May/June issue of Simply Hers by going to…
https://issuu.com/webeditions/docs/simply_hers_lr_0516
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