Legally Blind Luck–uncovering the truth
Legally Blind Luck
by James J. Cudney
The discoveries, surprises, and twists just keep coming in the seventh novel in James J. Cudney’s cozy mystery series. In Legally Blind Luck there are a number of mysterious new characters including a blind woman with a bodyguard. Kellan, the main character, discovers a murder victim just as an art exhibit is scheduled to open on campus. An art treasure, supposedly bearing a curse, disappears. Kellan’s uncle who died a few months prior to the exhibit might have been involved. These events seem to be tied into South Africa’s history of apartheid. Kellan and his girlfriend April, a sheriff, have to search out the murderer and untangle relationship webs to keep Kellan and his family safe.
The many characters in the book are described in great detail. The plot moves quickly enough, but it is easy for me to get bogged down as I try to recall the characters as they reappear. Fortunately, the author, recognizing that this could be a problem, includes a descriptive character list at the beginning of the book. As usual, Kellan’s Nana D plays a role in providing humor as she and her grandson lovingly tease each other. The conclusion of the book holds many surprises that I absolutely did not see coming as well as some major hooks to draw the reader into the next book in the series.
I would like to extend my thanks to author James J. Cudney and to Gumshoe (Next Chapter) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #7 in the Braxton Campus Mystery Series. It could be read as a standalone, but the author recommends “reading the series in order because of the side stories and character progression.” I agree with him, and I have enjoyed each book.
Publication: April 15, 2020—Next Chapter
Memorable Lines:
I’d mostly felt lost and ignored, so I kept to myself—bookish nerd met prankster met Curious George.
Dr. Myriam Castle delivered a uniquely special brand of cantankerous poppycock that was best left ignored if you valued your sanity.
“I might believe her personality is on par with Nurse Ratched and Lizzie Borden, but I don’t doubt her love for you.”
Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop–spreading the Christmas spirit
Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop
by Rebecca Raisin
When you are Festive Flora, you have your almost dream job of assistant-cashier at Deck the Halls Christmas Emporium, you are dating adventurous poet Luke, and you are living in your best friend Livvie’s spare room, what could possibly go wrong? Well, for Flora, everything—all at once!
Flora is accused by various boyfriends of being eccentric, and she is. She’s passionate about the Christmas spirit and wants everyone to feel the same way. She is also kind and generous with a tendency to speak and act before she thinks. Flora is never “good enough” according to her parents’ standards. She and Livvie, who also had a difficult home life, received love and support as children from Flora’s Nan. At her house they created wonderful Christmas memories.
Livvie decides that the solution to some of Flora’s problems is “a Christmas van, like a pop-up shop.” Thus Flora becomes a Van Lifer and heads to Lapland, “the home of Santa Claus,” to sell all things Christmasy with Hallmark movies being the blueprint for her future: a meet-cute with a good looking young man, conflict between the two, followed by romance and a “happy ever after.”
The story pretty much follows that pattern as she meets some nice, helpful people along the way, but also has to deal with a group of jealous “mean girls” who apparently never developed emotionally past high school. The love interest is Collom, the handsome manager of the Christmas market, a never smiling loner who is passionate about ecology, not Christmas. Flora takes on the task of turning Collom from a Grinch to a believer in the Christmas spirit. She has to complete this goal before the Christmas market closes down for the season and they all go their separate ways.
Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop is told from Flora’s point of view with dialogue interspersed with Flora’s thoughts which she sometimes wonders if she has spoken aloud. Whoops! Author Rebecca Raisin succeeds with another romantic comedy, sure to have you turning the pages to see if Flora’s next zany idea will win Collom over—to love Christmas and maybe Flora too. Along the way she has some embarrassing moments that will keep you in stitches, ranging from stage fright to being a naked Britisher in a Finnish sauna.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to HarperCollins (HQ) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction, General Fiction (Adult)
Notes: 1. This is the third in a series about Van Lifers, but stands completely alone from the first two.
2. Despite the Christmasy, festive atmosphere of this book, there is a surprising amount of foul language used casually throughout the book.
Publication: October 28, 2021—Harper Collins (HQ)
Memorable Lines:
It’s not just about holding down a job, it’s that my whole life keeps imploding at every turn. My parents think I’m on a desolate road to nowheresville.
“I probably sound unhinged, but what if we all lived as though our life were a Hallmark movie? What if we took chances, and said what we thought, and believed that true love would find a way, no matter what? What if we were honest about our feelings, knowing that it would all work out in the end? Then the world would be a better place!”
They give me those polite smiles that mange to convey they have absolutely no idea what I’ve said but they’ll tolerate me talking to them in halting Finnish because at least I’m giving it a go.
Aria’s Travelling Book Shop–trauma of grief
Aria’s Travelling Book Shop
by Rebecca Raisin
This second adventure of the Van Lifers features Aria, Rosie and Max who are the main characters in Aria’s Travelling Book Shop. We follow them to France for the summer where they meet up with new and old friends as is the way with these nomadic souls who travel from festival to festival earning their way as they go by holding pop-up specialty shops.
This story is told from Aria’s point of view. She lost the love of her life to cancer three years ago and is still struggling with grief, guilt, and an inability to move forward in her life. Her friend Rosie is always there to support her, but Rosie has a life surprise that complicates her ever-meticulous plans. Aria tries to re-establish a relationship with her husband’s family who estranged themselves from her after TJ’s death. She receives a journal written by TJ during his last months that reveal his hopes for her future. Jonathan is a successful writer who wants to be friends with the romance book loving Aria.
An interesting technique the author uses is to have Aria step outside herself, as if she were an onlooker announcing the events. For example, in italics we read “Hopeless romantic Aria vowed never to love again after loving her husband, TJ, but fate seems to have other ideas and keeps throwing mysterious Jonathan in her path. Is this a test of her commitment…” Using this approach, we get an up close view of Aria’s working through her issues in an almost humorous way.
In addition to personal matters, Rosie and Aria are confronted with a negative and unhappy “friend” who invites herself along. She is not a nice person, but Rosie and Aria try to understand and help her. Look for a surprise transformation for that character, and enjoy the very bookish nature of this novel.
I would like to extend my thanks to Edelweiss and to HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, General Fiction (Adult)
Notes: #2 in The Travelling Shops series, but can be read as a standalone.
Publication: August 10, 2021—Harper Collins
Memorable Lines:
Promises that won’t be kept swirl in the air above like the glittery trail of a sparkler extinguished before the word is written. I smile sadly, wishing things didn’t have to end but knowing that they do.
“According to my translation app you just told him: You’re a wet chicken!” She bites down on her lip before laughter gets the better of her.
I duly sit and wait for Rosie as she hurries to make tea and serves me a slice of cake so large it has its own postcode.
Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop–home and business in a van
Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop
by Rebecca Raisin
Personal Note: Fall is bringing glorious temps in my area along with some hints of winter to come. Days are too short and dark is uncomfortably extended. It’s the perfect time to mix up my stringent standards of reading books, excepting book club tomes, in the order in which they were published. It’s also a good time to again acknowledge that I am fearfully behind in my reading queue, but I am gradually catching up, mainly because I am requesting about half the number of Advanced Reader Copies that I did when I lived in Mexico. What does my sudden free-spiritedness have to do with this review?
I just finished reading Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop, a fun romance and the first in a series that focuses on some nomadic souls. I’m going to jump into the next one tomorrow, soon to be followed by the third, which has a Christmas theme—perfect!
My Review: It’s Rosie’s birthday and she just turned 32. Her husband Callum has a surprise for her, but it is not a pleasant one. As the sous chef at a famous London restaurant, she works long hours, has almost total independence in creative decisions, but gets no credit for her contributions to the restaurant’s fame.
Can she be successful personally and financially as a Van Lifer, someone who lives out of a van, travelling with no schedule, following fairs and special events or his or her personal whim? Does she have what it takes to strike out on her own, preparing and selling special teas and comfort food in her tiny kitchen at these events? Can she recover from Callum’s betrayal and find love with either sensitive Ollie whom she met on the Internet or with hunky nomadic Max who draws her outside her cocoon of contentment with adventures?
I obviously enjoyed this book. Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has romantic themes, but it also addresses the serious events that the main characters have experienced that make them the way they are. Rosie is a really nice person and all through the book I wanted only the best for her, although life doesn’t always work out that way. Rosie is a planner with OCD tendencies. She has not had much time for friendships so interacting with romance book loving, free-spirited, kind hearted Aria is a challenge. I can’t forget to mention Poppy, Rosie’s fuchsia pink van; Poppy is as important to Rosie and to the plot as any flesh and bones character! The next book in the series will focus on Aria and her Travelling Bookshop; I’m hoping for a very bookish romance with some adventure and fun thrown in as Rosie and Aria continue their Van Life travels.
I would like to extend my thanks to Edelweiss and to HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #1 in The Travelling Shops Series 2. When I posted my review on Amazon on 12/6/2021, the Kindle version of this book was on sale for $.99.
Publication: February 16, 2021—Harper Collins
Memorable Lines:
“The right person is out there, you just have to take the leap and find him. But first you need to figure out what makes you happy, and then have it in spades.”
“Anomaly is just another word for extraordinary, and who wants to be ordinary, anyway? To me you’re a shining light in a crowd of beige.”
And now I see with such life-altering clarity, that all those material things did the exact opposite of fulfilling me, they held me back, kept me in debt, kept me working to maintain a lifestyle that didn’t satisfy me at all.
A Deadly Edition–much anticipated wedding
A Deadly Edition
by Victoria Gilbert
Although A Deadly Edition is plot driven, the importance of the characters should not be understated. Some of these characters are regulars from the previous three books in the series, but author Victoria Gilbert handily reintroduces each one. There are also a number of new characters who converge on Taylorsford for the much anticipated garden wedding of Amy Webber, the town’s head librarian, and Richer Muir, a dance instructor at Clarion University.
We dive into the seamy side of the upper crust with those who make their fortunes from the sales of art and books with a few frauds and forgeries thrown in. These same collectors and dealers could have ties to the even more dangerous world of drugs.
A murder precipitates Amy’s investigation that she hangs on to like a pit bull, hardly having time for her wedding preparations. As a consummate researcher, she uncovers motives for a number of people. Some are close to her, making her inquiries more painful. She is, for the most part, upfront with Brad, Chief Deputy, who both warns her for her own safety and appreciates her contributions.
A Deadly Edition has a strong plot with lots of threads. We follow Amy’s investigation and reasoning as she works through the many red herrings thrown in. The surprising climax has action, and then the book closes with a kinder and gentler focus on family and friends.
I had one irritation with the book. There were twelve instances of various characters responding to another with a light-hearted salute—usually called “mock salute,” but sometimes employing other adjectives. Seven different characters use the little salute so it isn’t one character’s trademark gesture. This repetition was definitely a minor annoyance; other readers might not even notice it. It certainly does not affect my recommendation of this quite involved cozy mystery.
I would like to extend my thanks to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series, but would be fine as a standalone.
Publication: December 8, 2020—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
Sometimes chocolate is the only thing standing between me and murder.
I needed to find a way to untangle the sticky threads of coincidence that seemed to be entrapping the truth.
“And one thing I’ve learned, after all these years, is that there are many kinds of love. Not all of them end in marriage, or are even romantic, but all can mean quite a lot. Or at least”—he released my hand and sat back, his focus shifting to the stage—“enough.”
The Horse and His Boy–excellent storytelling
The Horse and His Boy
by C. S. Lewis
Herein lies the tale of Shasta, abused son sold as a slave. He joins forces with Aravis who is trying to avoid marriage to a much older, ugly, powerful, rich man. Shasta and Aravis devise a plan of escape that includes their Narnian horses who can, of course, talk.
There are many complications on their adventure including mistaken identity for Shasta and recognition of Aravis by an old friend. Lucy and Edmund, characters from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, play minor roles in this book as does their big sister Susan. Her rebuff of a suitor, Prince Rabadash, could cause a war.
Aslan, the Lion, appears and disappears, always a part of events as they occur. The characters learn that there is more to happenings than luck or chance. Even those who don’t already know about Aslan immediately feel there is something special about Him when they first encounter Him.
The Horse and His Boy includes characters who are noble and heroic and also those who are traitors. Aslan gives the despicable Prince Rabadash a second chance, and the outcome is perfectly constructed. It is fitting, but I certainly couldn’t have predicted it.
The Horse and His Boy is another storytelling triumph by C.S. Lewis who again has written a book that can be enjoyed on two levels. It is a fascinating fantasy, but it can also be read with religious themes in mind. Regardless of your reading goals, you will enjoy this entertaining fantasy without the intricate world building of current fantasies.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to HarperCollins Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Children’s Fiction, Christian
Notes: This book is #3 in The Chronicles of Narnia. This series is often listed as Children’s Fiction, but is really appropriate for all ages with adults reading it on a different level from children. The series begins with the highly popular The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but many readers find each one of the books in the series to be their “favorite” as they encounter it.
Publication: 1954—HarperCollins Publishers
Memorable Lines:
Aravis immediately began, sitting quite still and using a rather different tone and style from her usual one. For in Calormen, story-telling (whether the stories are true or made up) is a thing you’re taught, just as English boys and girls are taught essay writing. The difference is that people want to hear the stories, whereas I never heard of anyone who wanted to read the essays.
“I must have come through the pass in the night. What luck that I hit it!—at least it wasn’t luck at all really, it was Him, and now I’m in Narnia.”
“Child,” said the Lion, “I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own.”
In Case You Get Hit by a Bus: How to Organize Your Life Now for When You’re Not Around Later
In Case You Get Hit by a Bus: How to Organize Your Life Now for When You’re Not Around Later
by Abby Schneiderman and Adam Seifer
As a senior citizen, I realize I am each day closer to death than the day before and that no one, regardless of their age, knows when their time on earth will be over. With those things in mind, I agreed to review an advance copy of <i>In Case You Get Hit by a Bus: How to Organize Your Life Now for When You’re Not Around Later</i>. The first thing I noticed is that the digital copy provided was rather jumbled and therefore difficult to read. I am sure the final published copy will not have those issues. I plowed ahead, reading the Introduction, skimming the body of the text, and particularly noting the organization of the book.
This book provides timely advice and draws the reader’s attention to the multitude of decisions that should be made to help those responsible for end of life care and for the distribution of the estate. There are many decisions that, due to “advances” in technology, our ancestors would not have had to deal with (passwords, life support, etc.). This book both advertises and dovetails into their online planning system. In all fairness, though, they do refer readers to other companies besides their own, and by itself the book would be a good guide.
The authors differentiate between the critical issues that need to be done immediately (Plan of Attack), those items of lower priority, and other things that you might want to consider (Side Mission). They really do cover all the bases, for me anyway, and they recognize that even considering this project is difficult for many people in so many ways. Even as I write this review, my anxiety level has risen, but the idea is that if you make a plan you will not just feel, but actually be in control of, some aspects of your future and help those you care about during their time of grief.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Workman Publishing Co. for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Self Help, Relationships, Grief
Publication: December 22, 2020—Workman Publishing Co.
Memorable Lines:
In order to really make a difference for people at their time of greatest need, you had to help people get a plan in place ahead of time.
We all love instant gratification, but this type of planning forces you to look beyond your own personal gain and know your family has a well-lit path forward if you’re not around.
Wine Tastings are Murder–death on a wine tour
Wine Tastings are Murder
by Libby Klein
Welcome to the world of Poppy McAllister, a plus-sized, forty-something pastry chef with self-esteem issues. And commitment issues (ask Tim and Gia). And food issues. Food calls her name and sticks to her like a long lost twin. Her latest effort is the kale diet where she discovers that a kale frittata is like “an omelet full of yard clippings.” Also, and you need to think this one through…our featured pastry chef can’t eat gluten!
Wine Tastings are Murder is full of madcap adventures that will keep you laughing through a serious and complicated murder investigation. What in the world are Aunt Ginny and her octogenarian friends doing in the evenings that leaves them cackling, smirking, and sitting on bags of frozen vegetables?
Poppy is owner of the Butterfly Wings B&B, a new business that she is trying to launch. She agrees to cooperate with a company sponsoring a wine tasting at a local winery, but one of the guests has an apparent heart attack—or was the medical event more than that? Suspicion falls on other guests and on winery personnel. Poppy needs to find out if they are who they claim to be and what motives they might have.
The eighty year old “biddies” are not the only source of humor. Poppy hires “Victory,” a chambermaid from Eastern Europe, who does not understand guest privacy, the basics of inn housekeeping, appropriate attire, or the nuances of English. It also gradually occurs to Poppy that Victory has narcolepsy.
Figaro, Poppy’s cat, has met his nemesis in Tammy Faye, a teacup Pom who is the treasured delight of guest Sunny Baker. The two chase each other all over the house leaving a trail of destruction. Technology joins the fun as Aunt Ginny’s new toy Alexa demonstrates that she is always listening. Aunt Ginny doesn’t know how to use Alexa who sounds alarms and speaks at the craziest of times.
On the personal front, you’ll adore little Henry, Gia’s four-year old son. He has Poppy on emotional speed dial without even trying. Amber, a local police officer who has been at odds with Poppy since high school, might be softening just a tad. Then there is the romantic conundrum. Readers are anxious for Poppy to choose between “hunky” Italian coffee shop owner Gia and long ago love, Chef Tim. Read Wine Tastings are Murder to see if there is resolution in either love or murder. I guarantee the outcome will be a surprise.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. # 5 in the Poppy McAllister Mystery Series. You could read this as a standalone. It is better to have read the first four for the background, but Klein fills you in well, and the read is worth it if you aren’t able to backtrack on this series.
2. The end of the book contains lots of recipes (6 gluten-free and 1 paleo) that will have you drooling, even if you don’t need gluten-free.
Publication: December 1, 2020—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
I was all for eighty-year-olds going “a-courting,” but Royce Hansen had the short-term memory of a fruit fly and Aunt Ginny could do crazy all on her own.
The biddies all nodded and smiled sweetly. “Have fun, honey.” They waved as I left the room. They’re not fooling anyone. They’re definitely up to something.
She made me feel like I was back in the eighth grade again. Fat, awkward, and foolish. Gigi even made my baking, the only talent I had in life, sound like I was adding water to a boxed cake mix and cooking with a high-wattage lightbulb.
Courting Can Be Killer–partially requited love
Courting Can Be Killer
by Amanda Flower
Millie Fisher, the “sedate Amish woman,” and Lois Henry, the “flamboyant Englisher,” join forces again to solve a murder, one quite personal to Millie. Don’t worry If you missed the first book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series as author Amanda Flower is quite skilled in providing background information. There are also tie-ins to Flower’s Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, but the two function independently of each other.
In Courting Can Be Killer, Millie and Lois were childhood friends and are now in their sixties. They are as opposite as possible, but they complement each other and prize their friendship. Lois loves being the sidekick of the “Amish Marple” and is a bonus to the relationship because she is not bound in her investigations by the strict Amish code, sometimes stretching the truth until it breaks. Her driving a car and having a cell phone are quite handy as well.
When a fire breaks out in a flea market, Millie’s “adopted nephew” Ben is found dead. Rumors spread fast in the Amish community that Ben, who recently moved to the area and is therefore considered an outsider, is responsible for the fire. The duo set out to defend the young man’s reputation. In the process, Millie comes under attack although the long-suffering Deputy Sheriff Aiden has warned her numerous times that her interviewing various suspects is dangerous. Lois, however, is delighted as she see the assault as a sign that they are getting close to discovering the murderer.
Woven into the main plot are some potential romances as Millie is known as the local matchmaker. Animals provide both chaos and humor as Jethro the potbellied pig makes an appearance, and Millie’s two mischievous Boer goats, Phillip and Peter, cause havoc and provide protection. The Amish are not immune from having dysfunctional families, and we meet several in this cozy mystery. The ending is a surprise and justice is served. The epilogue gives closure for the characters with a little positive philosophy thrown in as well, and the sound advice is from the Englischer!
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #2 in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series
Publication: December 1, 2020—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“…in this life one should always be willing to take a chance and roll the dice.” She grinned. “That sounds like one of the Amish proverbs you recite all the time, doesn’t it?” “It doesn’t.” I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“I knew when my second husband bought a singing bass for our living room wall that there were no more rules when it came to good taste.”
A feeling of peace came over me. I knew the Good Lord had moved Lois to come and check on me. It gave me comfort to know this, and the fear I had been holding onto all evening started to melt away.
The First Christmas–Eastern philosophical take on the Nativity story
The First Christmas
by Stephen Mitchell
While I am not a theological scholar, I have been a Christian for over sixty years. Those are years in which I have studied the Bible, and God has grown my faith. When the author of this book gives an interpretation that I disagree with, I can accept that as a difference of opinion. An example in Stephen Mitchell’s The First Christmas is the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary. In the Bible this event is reported in chapter one of Luke. I believe this account literally, that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in a physical form and spoke to her in an audible voice. In fact, there is a dialogue recorded there. The author wants to interpret the appearance as a bright light (“the best I could come up with,” he says) and its communication as “empathy and telepathy,” nothing “so gross as speech.” Based on the writings in Luke, the author is creating a fiction that, though unconfirmed, could have happened. Many describe near death experiences as a comforting, blinding, white light. So, here, the author is using his imagination within the context of an angel visiting Mary.
What is more believable in his telling of the story are the extensive thought processes that Mary must surely have engaged in during the days and months following the angel’s announcement that she had been chosen to bear the Son of God as He comes to Earth in human form. The Bible doesn’t give details of all of her thoughts and feelings, but it does record her song of praise often called The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Luke also shows us that her response is meditative.
There were shepherds who had an angelic visitation. After that they came to worship the baby Jesus, explaining how they found the little family in Bethlehem filled with visitors paying their taxes. “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Using common sense and based on Biblical evidence that Mary was a reflective person, the inner dialogue the author creates is believable, even if you don’t agree with all the fictional details.
There are some larger issues with this novel, however, that bother me. Mary says “No one had ever prophesied that the Messiah would never die.” This statement skirts the issue that there were many Old Testament prophecies which predict the Messiah would be resurrected to reign in His eternal kingdom. Her statement feels like a deliberate distraction in the text. Author Mitchell is clear that Mary would know the Jewish teachings. Therefore, she would have been aware of the many prophesies that Jesus would be resurrected and sit on the right hand of God the Father (Psalm 110:1). Psalm 49:15 says “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me.” Interpretations are acceptable, but contradictions are not.
The format of the book is interesting. The author states “my only agenda was to inhabit the characters.” He tries to put himself into an ancient time and experience it as each of the characters in the Nativity story might have. As he looks at the role each person or animal had in this pivotal moment, the author makes the decision to tell the story in the third person for the people and first person for the animals. He separates the chapters with an “Interlude” which is his opportunity to reveal his thoughts as an author and provide some background information. This format (which he explains in an Interlude is based on “the glorified sestet of an Italian sonnet) is a good choice for this book. Unfortunately, the author deviates in the second part of Mary’s story and interrupts the tale as he inserts his “authorial I” into her story rather than waiting for the Interlude. This happens again in Joseph’s story. In general I found Joseph’s tale more convincingly told. Oddly though, Mary and Joseph were approached in the book by angels who were totally different in appearance with Joseph’s angel not even culturally appropriate to the time period.
The section of The First Christmas that tells of the visit of the wise men is an elaborate fictional tale of two Jewish scholars who travel to the East studying Buddhism and other mystic philosophies that concentrate on meditation and finding the god within. It deviates from Scripture in many ways, most notably in the visions of the future of Jesus and his family that the men have as they sit with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. (In the book, they visit the family in the stable whereas most Christians believe this visit occurred somewhat later as the Bible says the wise men or magi went to a house.) If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He was with God from before the creation of the world, as set forth in John 1:1-3, then much of this chapter is disturbing. They envision a confused young man, estranged from His family, and perhaps mentally deranged. A reading of any one of the four gospels shows anything but what they see for His future. He was fully man and fully God. Their supposed vision is not in character. They even shortcut and omit important parts of His death, fantasize his burial in a mass grave, and totally neglect His resurrection.
The last major section focuses on the donkey and is my favorite. The donkey tell the Nativity story from his perspective. Recalling ancient donkey traditions, he retells the Biblical story of Balaam’s donkey who could both see angels and could talk. He points out the good qualities of donkeys—intelligence, honesty, service, dignity, and trustworthiness.
I have an admiration for the author as a multi-lingual translator, well-versed in many Eastern religions and philosophies. He possesses a great imagination and makes connections from various works of literature. I hope that he will return to the Bible to connect with Jesus in a personal relationship. I don’t regret reading The First Christmas as an intellectual exercise, but I don’t recommend it as an Advent activity or as a pleasure read.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 2/5
Category: Religion & Spirituality, General Fiction (Adult)
Publication: November 9, 2021—St. Martin’s Press
Memorable Lines:
[From the chapter Yosef (Joseph)] Where was the Lord now? Not here, not amid this swirling chaos. But if the Lord was not with him, it was his own fault. He knew that. God had not left him; he had left God. It could be no other way.
[From the chapter Yosef—speaking of Maryam (Mary)] She was graced with a quality he had been striving for all his life, ever since he had realized what his purpose, what the purpose of every Jew, was: to love God with all his heart and to fulfill His commandments as impeccably and with as much joy as he could summon.
[From the chapter The Donkey] …throughout the day angels from every order of the hierarchy descending to take a peek at the new little visitor. They don’t knock or announce themselves; they just fly in through the roof or the walls, without so much as a by-your-leave, and nobody greets or even notices them. When they see me, though, they nod to acknowledge my presence and to let me know that they know I know.
education pathways 