Audio Books

Though a little skeptical based on one person's review that the book was "lean" in terms of graphics, I went ahead and bought it. While I agree that the book is not gorgeously laid out, it has some of the best information I have ever read in a how to book. My learning curve went straight up and not only would I recommend this book to any parent but have also bought copies for friends.

Everything you ever wanted to know about athletic recruiting when your high school coach doesn't do it for you. And here's a hot tip. You can go one better than your high school coach, Mom and Dad. Check out the opportunities at West Point. Almost everyone there is a scholar-athlete, and all on full scholarship plus getting paid [...] a year! And, best of all, if you get hurt, you don't lose your scholarship! To find out what West Point is really all about, read Norman Thomas Remick's book, "West Point". In conclusion, Wayne Mazzoni did a great job. His, "Athletic Recruiting & Scholarship Guide" is the book that tells you everything you need to know. (Unless you become interested in West Point).

This book made it clear what we need to do. I can't wait to get started on helping my daughter get a place to play in college and a scholarship.

While this book does not have the perfect layout of pictures, etc. that many books do, it has the only thing you really need when it comes to recruiting...an insiders perspective on the process. This book can be read in a few hours and your learning curve during this time will be dramatic. I am so much more prepared now then when I started this process.

I thought I did everything for my son that I could...When it came time for college, we just hit a brick wall. Wayne has helped us break through that wall. Step by step. Our family owes a great deal to Wayne. Thank you!

Excellent reference material. Can quickly look up any bird by the color coding on the outside of the pages. It is small enough to carry in your jacket; we took it with us when we went canoeing so we could look up the water fowl along the way. We purchased the CD that went along with the book, and we enjoy that very much as well!

This book lists birds by their color and markings so you can find out what kind of bird it is easier. What a great idea!

My daughter and I stumbled across a copy of this book at our local library. We couldn't get enough of watching the birds at our bird feeder after that to see how many different varieties we could identify. I bought my daughter a copy of the book last Christmas, and we've been able to identify all of the birds that we've seen so far.

I like how the book is arranged by color and then by size. The colored pseudo-tabs along the edges of the pages make it very easy to flip to the right color. This morning, it took me less than 10 seconds to identify a female rose-breasted grosbeak. My sister was impressed. I'll

This is the greatest bird book-easy to identify birds you see, good info, and very portable-just look under the color of the bird to identify.

my mother in-law brought me this book for my state and I loved it. my daughter lives in kentucky so I got the same one for her. I didn't want to spend a lot of time trying to fiqure out what a bird is when I see it. This book couldn't be easier. you look under the color of the bird you saw and then find the bird. The colors are all indexed. It's a great book for a nonexperienced birdwatcher as myself...

The authors present the story of adventure and crises in an honest and compelling fashion. The identity of each of the family members is written so as to provide an asymmetrical perspective of their joy, hardships, and terror while on the journey. The back story of the family is woven into the narrative in a way that facilitates seamless transitions between the voyage and situations throughout their lives. The external threats--to include open sea thugs and uncharted reefs--create the conditions for an epic tale that ultimately leads to the renewal of a family's relationship with each other and with God. For anyone who loves a great adventure story that is well-told, this book is a must read.

An epic story of hopes, dreams, and the nightmare of survival when things go bad that cannot be forgotten. The device of seeing events through Jeanne then John's eyes forces you to realize athough it's a story of a family, each is an individual with their own vision. All of us dream (I suspect) of chucking all the things we feel we cannot exist without and that trap us in our formatted existences, but this family did it all, and like a phoenix burning in the flames rose and were reborn, stronger and with more behind them than they can imagine.
The description of this family's trials bring to mind the old commercials listing one by one the cost for specific items, then describing a certain unique experience as "priceless". Every moment described, the good, the bad, the losses, and the miracles of survival fit that category "priceless".
Cheers!! for the Silverwood family for taking the jump, surviving and for letting us live through their eyes the candid tale of their amazing real-life adventures. This book is a vividly described experience. It forces me to relook at what is possible to do with life, if you just decide to do it.
A Movie, I'll buy tickets now!

I found the writing vivid and at times poetic. The contrast of writing style and perspective between Jean and John contributes to the reader's imagery and understanding. I enjoyed reading about each new port and island along the way. The candid impressions and experiences of each family member to the different locales added to the richness of the story. Cudos to the family for surviving and staying together through it all. Great summer read!

This book was great from page one to the last final word.

I read it all in less than two days because I could not put it down. The perspective from the wife was absolutely a must read for any woman that is considering living on a boat or cruising the world with their mate and children. Hard to believe she is not an accomplished author of many books. The way she weaved the tragic end of the voyage in clear detail with the total two year journey throughout her part of the book was masterful. She was open and genuine in sharing her most personal thoughts.

As for the husband's part, I really enjoyed the history of a previous wreck that parralleled their's on the same reef 150 years ago. It gives the historical context that transfers a feeling of timelessness to the sea and sailing. The man has a heart as big as the Pacific. These six people are everyday heros to all who dream of adventure and being brave enough to save those they truly love.

In the end, the experience for them as a family was something that cannot be duplicated or would anyone want to go through that ordeal. Still, the joy of seeing the kids both live real life outside of our comfortble California life style and then raise to the occation when called upon was very inspiring. My two sons have it on their summer reading list next. Definitly 5 STARS!!!!!

As a San Diego native I knew the story and the fantastic ending and still could not stop reading. I too am the mother of four children and cannot imagine attempting such a trip. Jean's account of their extraordinary family and adventure was perfect. Not only do you become part of the Emerald Jean family through her great writing but you relate to their strengths, emotions and troubles as a family to your own life. I found myself living the story with my husband and children and wondering if we all could have been so strong and loving. John's storytelling is not only educational it's laced with some fun humor and emotion. Truly a must read not only for adults but for young adults who could learn a lot from these amazing children. Would love to hug Camille and have cookies and milk with her! The movie will be great!!!!!

Blood of Angels is one of the best suspense novels I have read in quite some time. Set in Nashville it features Thomas Dennehy, a lead prosecutor who is known for his closing arguments and who has sent more than one criminal to death row. His new case, for which he plans to go for the maximum penalty, is against Moses Bol, a Sudanese immigrant accused of raping and murdering a white woman in a gritty part of town. As the case is contemplated a bombshell drops. An anti-death penalty professor claims he has incontrovertible proof that an executed convict that Dennehy put on death row, Wilson Owens, was innocent of the crime for which he was put to death. This throws the prosecutor's office into disarray, as well as the case against Bol, as an activist preacher claims Bol is innocent. In the meantime Dennehy thinks he's being stalked by someone, and acts directed at him get increasingly more frightening. He is soon visited, yet again, by his past, in a harrowing sequence of events.

This novel is definitely an intricate, well thought out work of suspense. The characters in this novel are very well drawn and Dennehy's relationship and interaction with them gives the novel a very personal touch.

Two thumbs up for this one.

The start was a bit misleading ( I thought I'd stumbled upon an anti-death penalty rant disguised as a novel ), but was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the middle of a fantastic thriller.

I recommend readers go through the bargain hardcover book section of their local bookstores and experiment with new authors on the cheap. That's how I found Reed Arvin and now I plan on reading all of his books.

Thomas Dennehy, Assistant District Attorney of Davidson County Tennessee, has his hands full in Blood of Angels.

The case of one Wilson Owens has come back to haunt the DA's office as new evidence has come to light that the State of Tennessee may have executed the wrong man two years ago.

Dennehy was the prosecutor in the case known at the Sunshine Grocery murders and has the singular notoriety of having convicted two men in separate trials and of separate crimes of killing the same woman. This in itself puts a tornadic twist into this book that would make it a brilliant story, but Arvin goes one-step further by hurling the racially charged murder of a local white-trash girl by a Sudanese immigrant into the mix.

Kwame Jamal Hale has come forward and delivered what may prove to be very damning evidence that he, not Owens, was the murderer at the Sunshine Grocery. His claim? He knows where the heretofore-undiscovered murder weapon can be found. Dennehy, his boss David Rayburn and soon-to-be retired fellow prosecutor Carl Becker, can only wait and watch as the circus rolls into downtown Nashville and the DA's office prepares to tender their resignations en toto, if it is proved that Wilson Owens was innocent and unlawfully executed.

Meanwhile the bond hearing of the suspected Sudanese murderer Moses Bol comes to court. The DA is dealt another blow when bail is set at $1.5 million and is paid by one Fiona Towns, a Presbyterian preacher of a dying central Nashville church that has less the dozen members.

These two stories together are not enough for Arvin. He tosses in the failing personal life of Dennehy, a cast of characters that make every page a thrill to turn and just enough action for you to gnaw your fingernails down to the cuticles. Dennehy has a wit and dark sense of humor that would be depressing if it were not written so well. Add his ex-wife, her wealthy doctor second husband, and a daughter that truly loves her daddy, and you have the full package in a legal thriller that you will be proud to recommend to every fellow fiction reader you know.

Armchair Interviews says: If you love legal thrillers, check this one out!

I loved "The Will" by Arvin and grabbed "Blood of Angels" as soon as it was released in hardcover. It is a book to own and I will read again one day. Great suspense, character developement and plot. This book has it all. It's one of those you can't put down once you start it.

As a former resident of Nashville and currently living in the city of Frankling (the hero's city) I was expecting to be somewhat familiar with the sites and locations. What I was not expecting was the absolutely riveting story - a police procedural of the first degree. I now know how residents of New York, DC, LA & Chicago feel when they read stories that take place in their city. The areas described are well-known and provide a reference point for the story.

This is the New South. Absent are evangelicals, the dominant Democrat party, close-knit generational families and a whites only landscape. Instead, Thomas Dehenny, the district attorney, is a driven, dedicated hard-drinking, divorced father who never attends church. One detects that the author (through Thomas) decries those who devote their lives to defending murderers and rapists. He asks, What about the victims? Who speaks for them?

In this case, there is a strong possiblity that the wrong man was executed. The crime involved two defendents - the shooter & the medic who actually killed the woman through negligance (he was on meth). At the same time, the city is rocked by the brutal murder of a Nationite woman by an African refugee. The struggle between low-class whites (The Nation) & the growing numbers of refugees and immigrants is real & depicted with accuracy. Into the fray steps Fiona Tonws, local Presbyterian minister/activist. Despite their positions, a romance breaks out between the two. The real villian is revealed midway through the book & he is as horrible and clever as they come. The ending was sheer perfection as was the entire story. I cannot say enough about this book! Buy it.

Although the heroine of this story was distinctly unlikable in the beginning of the book and made some choices I felt were not actually true to the character as written, Liz did a fairly good job at showing "the new man" God can create when our lives are turned over to him. This love story is multi-layered and heartening and definitely worth the read.

This book was so much fun! It's not very often I sit and literally laugh out loud, but this book had me giggling! It's funny, inspirational and charming.

I just finished reading Bookends and was very impressed. It's the first Higgs book I have read (although I read and love her column in TCW). I will definitely be reading more of her literature. This was a warm, funny book with a bit of mystery in it. It wasn't predictable in my opinion, which was a nice change from most romantic fiction. I loved the quirky characters(including the golden retriever) and loved how realisitc it was. I had never heard of the Moravian denomination and am now more curious about it. This is defintely a cozy read and would make a good gift for a close friend.

I don't know when I've read such a delightful book! Jonas and Emilie and a whole cast of other wonderful characters wormed their way into my heart and charmed me like I haven't been charmed in a while. Incredible writing and a message of faith seamlessly interwoven...this book has it all!

"Bookends" reveals a talent of the author, Liz Curtiz Higgs, that is nice to find in Christian Romance Novels. The characters are engaging and entertaning. Best of all, you do not have to wait till the end of the story for the main characters to have fun together! In this book the stroyline is creatively weaved with humor, seriousness, and romance, from begining to end. I highly recomend it to those who enjoy quality, intelligent, romance/comedy novels.

This book is an interesting historical drama about two families with a long history of not getting along. The book alternates between historical chapters and present day (1991) chapters; the historical chapters begin with the Pilgrim voyage and then slowly progress up to the 1960s or thereabouts. I personally found the historical chapters to be the most interesting and was happy that they tended to be much longer than the ones that took place in the present. I read this before my planned Cape Cod vacation and, while I haven't gone there yet, I think it was a good way to get ready and learn a great deal about the area's history, geography, and character.

American History didn't hold much of an interest for me in school, but as I approach the half century mark, I am becoming more interested in the events that shaped our nation. CAPE COD is an outstanding read dating to the time the Mayflower approached our shores. After completing this novel, I read Nathaniel Philbrick's non-fiction MAYFLOWER, and discovered that, in addition to being a wonderful storyteller, William Martin is an excellent historian.

The author creatively presents the conflicts over the centuries between the Hilyard and Bigelow families, intertwined in the present with the struggles of the married couple at the heart of the story. Having read THE LOST CONSTITUTION, HARVARD YARD, BACK BAY and CAPE COD, this is my favorite Martin novel.

Fantastic book that alernates historical passages with present-day passages. The contrast shows the reader just how different life is today than it was when the pilgrims arrived.

This book is incredible and enduring - the author an amazing talent. I keep my book journal on my desk with the names of all authors that I check on occasionally for new offerings - and William Martin has soared to the top of the list. His characters are full bodied, flawed, human, believable and impossible to leave. The history is infallible and tangible. The story line is akin to your own family history. This book is over 700 pages and I felt like I flew through the centuries and grieved when it was through. I then purchased ALL his other books. This man has an amazing talent and you will do a disservice to your reading life if you miss out on his books. Please read!

This book is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read. The characters aren't loveable, but they are so human and real that it pulls you right into the story. The plot never gets dull, as it keeps changing time periods with different points. Even though I just recently finished it, I feel as though I could pick it up right now and read it again. It is relatively long, but completely worth the time that it takes to read.
The ending isn't as good as it could be, meaning about the last 3 pages, but considering how amazing the rest of the book was, that doesn't really bother me at all.

Creo que uno de los libros mas lindos que he leido. Es un libro que podes leer a cualquier edad, tendo 18 años y recien lo lei.
Es una aventura muy linda que algun dia espero poder leer a mi hijos :)
Les recomiendo este libro a todo mundo.

It is definitely the best book I have ever read, and I read many great books throughout my life. I read it about six times, the first one when I was little. I still remember. Now I got it for my own children. It has amazing principles, and wonderful teachings. I wich we could all see life the way "El Principito" does. What a great lesson!

It's been one of my favorite books since I was in 6th grade, great life values in this story! Great for kids! and people of any age.

This is a lovely story, and I wanted to own the book to follow while I listen to the story in Spanish on my ipod. Children's stories in Spanish are a delightful way to study for the mid-level student.

T.William Waltrip, M.D.

A BOOK THAT INFLUENCED MY LIFE

The book that has influenced my life is "The Little Prince". This book iis basically about a little blond boy that meets an adult with who he will become friend, somewhere in the world, dunno where.He discovers, during a trip, adults, who will allow him to understand adults world and life on hearth In the begining of the story, the pilot crashes in a desert and thers were the story begings.This story has many characters, but the two main ones are the pilot (the narrator), and the little prince.One of the main settings are the dessert were the pilot meets the little prince, and the planet were the little prince lives, but this story has many settings.

I read this book because my mother told me that every kid must read this book, so she gave me the book and i read it when i was almost 12 years old. This book has influenced my life in many ways. Every time i read this book it makes me think, about pepole and friendship, it makes me cry, laugh, and be a better person and a better friend. It also makes me be more pacient, and this is a thing that im not so good at, but every time im in a cituation were i have to be pacient, since i read that book, I have teach myself to try to understand people, and why they are like that. This book is in a prose/chatter way written, in this way it was easier for me to understand the meaning of the words. This book you have to read it more than once to get the meaning of the words.



By Avira Arreola.

... this one is for you. Ever feel like the girls around you live on some other planet? Do you yourself feel like an alien in your own environment? This book may give you hope that one day even you will feel at home in your own skin.

Emma-Jean Lazarus (what a delicious name!) is not quite like her seventh grade peers. While a keen observer of their behaviors and social interactions, she nonetheless remains a little aloof from them all. Highly literal, and almost painfully logical, Emma-Jean doesn't really attract the friendship of her peers either -- they think her just a tad weird and mostly remain indifferent to her. However, one day, Emma-Jean finds a fellow classmate crying in the bathroom, and Emma-Jean perceives (in the classmate's various wailings about a best friend's betrayal) a plea for help. Ever the logical problem-solver, Emma jean applies her analytical mind to the issue and soon comes up with a, frankly, morally dubious solution. However, to Emma-Jean, it seems she's done just the right thing -- solved her new friend's problem.

Emma-Jean soon finds other problems to solve for her classmates, but doesn't realize the ripple-effects her various unusual-if-logical solutions are creating. It seems that there is one problem Emma-Jean hasn't been able to puzzle out quite yet -- the mysteries of the human heart and mind.

This book is charming and chuckle-worthy (with the occasional laugh-out-loud moment), but without stooping to humor at the expense of others -- especially the rather obvious target of Emma-Jean. Emma-Jean, while not formerly diagnosed, would be familiar to most reader's who know someone diagnosed with some of the milder forms of Autism or Asperger's syndrome. While the humor often derives from the disconnect between how Emma-Jean perceives her world and how the world is really structured (a sort of dramatic irony), the subtle jabs are more often aimed at the rather silly ins and outs of "normal" human behavior, rather than Emma-Jeans clearly logical analysis.

Emma-Jean is a very short read, but manages to pack lots of action, humor, and even several very touching moments into a small little package. The pacing is great (and I don't often concern myself with pacing), but Emma-Jean's larger-than-average vocabulary will rule out reluctant readers, and some portion of its target audience who doesn't want to read with a dictionary handy. Frankly, it may be one of those children's books that has more appeal for its adult readers... but then again, that's what I am!

This was a quick, easy read. And for the kids that would find its theme of friendship interesting, its a gem of a story. It may not be for all readers, Emma Jean is a compelling, but very different kind of main character.

Its well written without having to resort to cliche attitudes, expressions, or some of the other formulaic child meets friend, helps friend, gets into to trouble middle grade plots. (And for some middle grade readers, that might be too much of a step outside their comfort zone!)

Check it out. You'll be surprised.

This story begins Emma Jean Lazarus opens a door. Literally, it's the door to the girls' bathroom at school, where she finds Colleen Pomerantz (a kind, sensitive girl and not one of the usual 7th grade criers) sobbing over a problem with a friend. Figuratively, it's the door we all open when we make the sometimes scary decision to reach out to another human being. This is a big deal for all of us, but especially for Emma Jean, who's one of those brilliant, wise-beyond-her-years kids who seems to watch everything from the sidelines. She reminds me a lot of Lisa Yee's Millicent Min, Girl Genius. Because Emma Jean is brilliant at math and logic, just like her father who died two years ago, she uses logic to find solutions to her classmates' problems, with results that are hilarious and heartwarming.

There's a lot to love about this book. If you're a writer, you should read it because it's a fantastic example of how to pull off changing points of view in third person narrative. If you spend any time in a middle school, you'll love it because the characters are so real. As a middle school English teacher, I recognized these kids. I've seen Emma Jean watching the other kids at lunch. I've comforted Colleen when one of her friends was mad at her. And I've seen them all in their specially picked outfits at that first middle school dance. Author Lauren Tarshis has nailed middle school to a tee; she even understands one of the great secrets of school hallways: that the custodians are the real heroes.

Emma Jean Lazarus goes out on a limb in this middle grade novel (and yes, she really does fall out of a tree). Her journey is one that manages to be funny and sad and uplifting and true, all at once. You'll love this book.

Tarshis, Lauren. Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007

Emma-Jean Lazarus is in the seventh grade at William Gladstone Middle School where she observes rather than interacts with her classmates. Her father, who died in a car accident a couple of years ago when she was only 10, had been a successful mathematician who influenced her to want her world to be logical and rational, "Emma-Jean had observed her peers closely over the years. Her painstaking research had given her a much clearer understanding of their complex emotional lives and surprising sensitivities." When Emma finds a classmate crying in the girls' bathroom, she decides to use her excellent problem solving skills to intervene behind the scenes to fix Colleen's problem. A series of unfortunate events ensue until Emma finally understands that some of her well-intended actions have had negative consequences. Emma is a combination of thoughtful and naïve as she struggles to deal with the damage she has caused; fortunately facing up to her role in some troublesome events enables her to grow significantly as she learns how to interact more wisely with her peers. Woven in to this story about a child who is dealing with the death of a parent is a sweet subplot that has an older student, Vikram Adwani from Mumbai, India who is studying for a PhD at the local University, board with Emma and her mother. Emma really likes this gentleman, in fact, they spend many afternoons talking and cooking fragrant curry meals after she gets home from school, until she realizes that her mother and Vikram are growing maybe too fond of each other. Now Emma decides to intervene to help Vikram's mother find him a lovely Indian bride. Emma is a very appealing character in this wonderful story that blends humor with poignancy.

Hello, Folks this is a great audiobook. Excellent, thrilling, gripping story. Wonderful sound effects. Jason Culp did a fantastic job as narrator. I will listen to F2F many more times. I am going to try and obtain some of Phil Finch's other audiobooks if available. Get this audiobook, now !

The worst part of this book is that it could be real, never let your children at the internet alone, and you have to take care of what are you saying on the net.

Anything by this guy is fantastic! What a future vision...paranoia about keeping your personal information off the public domain seems like a good thing after reading this work.

Great book Phil! Miss you guys!

Rusty In KC

Better than tape!

Once you log on the Net...anyone can find you! April 19, 2001 My father handed me this book becasue I was a "computer guy" and he thought I might enjoy it. (He would have given it 3 stars at most); but being as I am in computers...and you can do everything that is done in this book....I enjoyed it. Anyone who uses a computer, a chat room and a bulletin board will really appreciated it. The deaths are a little more gruesome than is required...but once you get pass that, the book keeps your attention.

It starts slow and picks up with every page. I could not put it down. I finished it on one day! This book is a thriller even up to the last page. A must read.... this is a thoroughly entertaining novel.

Note: I now turn off my computer at night.

My father handed me this book becasue I was a "computer guy" and he thought I might enjoy it. (He would have given it 3 stars at most); but being as I am in computers...and you can do everything that is done in this book....I enjoyed it. Anyone who uses a computer, a chat room and a bulletin board will really appreciated it. The deaths are a little more gruesome than is required...but once you get pass that, the book keeps your attention.

It starts slow and picks up with every page. I could not put it down. I finished it on one day! This book is a thriller even up to the last page. A must read.... this is a thoroughly entertaining novel.

Note: I now turn off my computer at night.

I absolutely LOVE these series. I'm now reading them for the 4th time. I love how Lund breaks down the parables and teachings of Christ to make them easier to understand. I also love the historical accuracy. He brings you into the story as if you really are there. I highly recommend these books!

This book is amazing. It has truly enlightened me as to the true nature of Jesus Christ. On one hand, He seems very conservative, but on the other, He seems so liberal! What a paradox. Lund does a fantastic job of capturing just how complex our Lord is, but how loving and accepting He is, too. Truly, He is a higher form of life, and that essence is easily portrayed in the story. There is also a very interesting fictional plot unfolding all around Jesus with the story's main characters who are the Jews and Gentiles that chose to follow Him during His earthly ministry (some fictional, some historical). If you've ever wished you could get into a time-machine and go back to the time of Christ and see Him for yourself, this book will help you vividly paint this dream in your imagination better than anything else. Plus, you'll get schooled in the biblical Gospel that Jesus taught without feeling that it's preachy. It's just Jesus. Like Him, the author invites people of all religions, beliefs, and unbeliefs to partake of his words. There's nothing to fear. Jesus is SO cool, you'll definitely feel that way afterwards if you don't already!

I have heard people say that the story of Jesus is the greatest story ever told, but have wondered how that could be when I found the New Testament so difficult to understand when reading straight from beginning to end. Now having finished this series of books I add my vote that the story of Jesus Christ is really the greatest story ever told.

Upon finishing I have felt driven to explore the New Testament again. I recently purchased a version of the New Testament which attempts a chronological harmony of the four gospels. I am amazed at how closely Lund's series shadows the chronological harmony version of the King James Version of the New Testament. Lund's work has helped me attain a level of clarity regarding the Savior's ministry that I didn't even know I was missing. Lund also did a great job in helping me understand which characters in the book are really from the New Testament, and where he was favoring certain scriptural interpretations over others. The chapter endnotes were fantastic!

Having now finished the whole series that this book belongs to I realize that without the historical insights that Lund provides into the political, social, and cultural setting of the people who lived in that area of the world at that time, I would not fully understand the life and mission of Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. For me this series is now the standard for all other historical fiction that attempts to represent the ministry of Jesus Christ, or the origins of Christianity.

I am not much of a reader. In fact, this is the first novel I have read in about 30 years. (I never seem to have the time)

Boy, did I ever pick a winner on this one!

It immediately immerses you into the lives of a Roman soldier, a Galilean family, a Pharisee and a Sadducee.

It so masterfully intwines these folks into many of the gospel stories and places you into the crowds that are following Jesus. From the Birth of Jesus, to the cleansing of the Temple, the sermon on the mount and the feeding of the multitude.

It also puts in detail the difficulties of a family split between becoming followers of Jesus and denying him, and the melting of hardened hearts.

I could barely put this thing down.

Now I am ready to take on "Come Unto Me" (Kingdom and the Crown Vol 2.)

I am now on the second book... the first book in this series is so wonderful. I takes you there to Jerusalem and Galilee. You feel as if you walk with Jesus and experience his miracles and teachings first hand. It is an ambitious achievement for the author. You learn and come to know Christ more deeply. At times it can get a bit preachy and I feel like I am in one of Lund's classrooms, but I dig it anyways (other people may not). But the story is well crafted.

I always hate it when authors take too much artistic license and try to guess what a real historical person is feeling or what their motivation is (when there isn't a written record of it anywhere and it is completely up to the interpretation of the author). I am grateful that Lund never attempts that, and for Heaven's sake, especially not with Jesus. All of the dialogue that is written for Jesus can be found directly out of the New Testament.

Read this book and come to know the Savior even more deeply than you have before.