Book Review: The Family of Jesus

Heart of the Story: The Family of Jesus
by Karen Kingsbury
2014
240 pages

Synopsis
Through The Family of Jesus, listeners will develop an emotional connection to the family members of Jesus, learning about their lives and falling in love with Scripture along the way. Bible studies and devotionals abound, and in churches everywhere people gather to seek a deeper understanding of God’s word and its application to their lives. But too often these studies engage only the analytic approach to Bible learning.

In The Family of Jesus, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately care more deeply about the Bible by helping you grasp the truths in Scripture not just with your mind, but with your heart. The characters in these short stories were among those closest to Jesus—Mary, Joseph, Jesus’ brother James, John the Baptist, Zechariah, and Elizabeth. Each has a compelling tale to tell. Kingsbury intersperses fictional, emotionally gripping details anchored in Scripture with historical and theological insights and questions that will guide soul-searching and reflection.

The Family of Jesus not only provides a deeper understanding of the relatives of our Savior, but also helps listeners acquire tools that will draw them closer to Christ, to the Scriptures, and to each other.

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

My Review:
A beautifully written novel looking at the lives of 6 family members of Jesus: his parents, Mary and Joseph, his aunt and uncle, Elizabeth and Zechariah, his cousin John the Baptist, and his brother James. I found the stories worked well together and told the story of Jesus' upbringing and ministry quite well. There were some parts that were obviously made up as it's not mentioned in the Bible, but that needed to happen in order to pull all the stories together, and to adequately portray the different character's lives. It was well-written, descriptive, and interesting to read about each of their different perspectives. I also like that she added a Bible Study to the novel, so that you could either work on it through your own devotions, or do it with a church group. Next time I'll get it from the library without doing the "Express" read, so I can take some time doing the studies.