Behold the Man by Gerald Lund (Volume 3 of the Kingdom and the Crown series)

 I was hoping this ending volume would be better, but it's probably my least favorite. The ending days of Christ's life are kind of muddled. It's not clear exactly who's going where and what's going on...it's very confusing about the trials, the beatings, etc.,

The best parts of these books are Lund's footnotes where he annotates his sources in the New Testament. But since the Gospels don't agree or often don't follow a time line, he makes a good guess about putting events in order. I liked that he tried to stay true to the scriptures and alerted his readers to where he took license for the sake of the plot. 

Volume 2 was better and had some intrigue. This volume took me the longest to get through...it really dragged. And did nothing to enhance my reverence for Christ. Describing his suffering was hard to read...

Still, I'm glad I finished the series. And now, with Sierra's terrible accident, I probably won't be here for book club to discuss it! Maybe it's better that way, since I don't have a lot of positive to say!

Come unto Me (Volume 2 of the Kingdom and the Crown series) by Gerald N. Lund

 The plot thickens in Volume 2 and resolves a lot of the issues that were pending in Volume 1. I enjoyed watching how the strategic Simeon was able to outwit the thieving robber's band. The military maneuvers got too complicated and I frequently got lost in the detail, but I read on and was able to grasp the outcomes easily.

Much of this volume happens in Rome, at least the second half of the story. Miriam is in Rome with her father, and as she experiences Rome and its striking culture, in contrast to her own Jewish culture, we are captivated right along with her. It really made me want to remember my Western Civilization history and to put some of the pieces together. There is so much to this culture and I am pretty ignorant of it at this point in my life! I'm motivated to explore more of that.

Now that we're at the end of Volume 2, and the robber band has been dealt with, we are left with Miriam and Simeon (and the former slaves Livia and Drusus) traveling back to Israel from Rome. 

Christ is teaching, and David's (Simeon's father) family frequently discusses his parables and other teaching. We see the famous biblical stories played out and we hear what the people are asking and wondering. There are some very enlightening discussions about what these parables actually mean, They often deal with difficult issues and paradoxes, and as the family members wrestle with their meaning, we are enlightened by their interpretations.

One thing that I especially liked was Simeon's friend noticing how much he was impressed by Jesus' miracles. And what about his teaching? It's a good reminder about how faith is built--not by miracles, but by trying out the ideas and living them.. There are many discussions about the violence proposed by the Zealots in contrast to Jesus' peaceful teachings... many contradictory moments that the author deals with beautifully, I think that was the part I appreciated the most about this book. Despite the characters' superficiality and lack of development. I could still appreciate their interpretation of Christ's doctrine. Now it's on to Volume 3!

Fishers of Men (Volume 1 of the Kingdom and the Crown series) by Gerald N. Lund

 I read this volume several years ago, and I remember liking it, but not enough to continue the series. However, our Stonebridge Ward Relief Society is reading this series this summer, so I decided to give it another try, and this time to read all three volumes. It felt like a good thing, especially when I found all three books at Deseret Industries for a dollar or two each! Woohoo!

As before, I found Lund's characters rather superficial and either good or evil, without a lot of nuance. And there's a certain tone that Lund has, as I remember, from his Work and the Glory series that is a little pedantic, a little ueber-righteous. And this book has the same tone. However, he is a good story weaver, and I began to care about the characters despite their flatness. 

I also kept reminiscing about my time in Israel and tried to remember the places that come up and are described. Unfortunately, my memories are fleeting and flashing. Not much detail. Still, it's fun to remember what I can...For example, I still remember Ceasarea as a beautiful coastal city, and part of the story takes place there.

Jesus is introduced, as are his apostles, and their relationships and personalities give context to his life and teaching. It's speculative, this context, but Lund does an excellent job in citing his sources and making clear what is historical and documented vs. his imagination. His notes at the end of each chapter help clarify this as well. So along the way of reading this story, you learn a lot about the culture of the time...what they were eating, how they slept, what they were talking about. This is an enjoyable way for me to learn history!

I'm also making connections to "the Chosen" video series which is SO EXCELLENT! The two genres have similar goals, and kind of reinforce each other. 

This volume ends with a skirmish between Roman soldiers, Zealot warriors, and a band of thieves. It helps give context to the varying groups vying for power in Israel during Christ's time. What made me anxious to get on to Volume 2 was to find out how the Zealot leader, Simeon, is able to overcome this terrible loss, and what happens to the Great Council leader's daughter, Miriam, who gives away part of the secret plans. These characters and their families are interesting and their relationships and conversions and rebellions are good at moving the story along. 

The Book of Longing by Sue Monk Kidd

 I heard an interview with Sue Monk Kidd and was very impressed by her spirituality and humility. She spoke about researching and writing this book, and it intrigued me to learn more. The premise is that Jesus Christ had a wife, and this is her story. I enjoyed Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees so much that I assumed this would be as good.

Well, I was wrong. The characters in Bees are so alive and engaging! The characters in Longing are one-dimensional. Kidd's impressive writing skills are not in evidence either; I never paused and thought, that is a great sentence or a beautiful image. That was disappointing.

However, the story was interesting, and the context that she drew around the characters reminded me of why I enjoy the video series THE CHOSEN so much. The circumstances and context really enriched my understanding of what could have happened to bring certain people together. This novel also created a vivid image of what life in ancient Israel may have been like, both for the rich (during Ana's youth) and for the poor, after she moved to Nazareth. The book also describes life and culture in Egypt, and the feminist perspective is so interesting. In Egypt, Ana had more opportunities and even enjoyed a visit to a library. The story of how women lived and how few of them had any reading or writing skills was fascinating. 

Another interesting aspect was that of the culture of the Therapaeuta (sp?), a place for Jews that was like a monastery for Jews in Egypt. The description of life there was fascinating, and that is based in history. 

I sent the book off to Leslie Polson today and it will be interesting to see what she thinks. I always like historical fiction to learn about different places and times. I wish this one were more compelling, but it's still a nice summer read. And it does fit with my belief that Jesus very well could have had not only a wife, but a sense of humor...