As he did in the first volume, The Welcoming Door
, Kemp imaginatively places a young Christ (Jeshua) in the midst of the parable events that formed the foundation of his later teachings. In this fresh conjecture on the missing years in the life of Christ, Kemp draws his version of Jesus endearingly and well. He strikes a subtle balance between showing the humanity of Jeshua—tired, dirty, fighting a headache, working up a sweat, hanging out with his brothers—while hinting at his possible divinity. Readers will find the likable Jeshua also portrayed as reflective, "a loner given to long, solitary walks and disappearances; a fellow who, even when he laughed, seemed somehow melancholy, as if he were carrying a secret weight." Haunted by dreams of his own death and the violent atrocities that would be perpetrated in his name in future years, Jeshua poignantly whispers to the night sky, "Father, must it be so? Is there no other way?... Please, bring me home." Money, pride and intrigue move the occasionally confusing story line along, illustrating the parable of the forgiven debt and the parable of the persistent widow (readers will want to read The Welcoming Door
to understand some of the references in this book). A few profanities may keep it out of more conservative CBA stores, but this unusual take on the life of Jesus should have wide appeal to many readers of faith. (Apr.)
