ESTHER'S STORY

In this historical Christian novel, a young girl without parents witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus and embarks on a spiritual journey that’s fraught with challenges.

Esther, a 12-year-old girl living in Jerusalem, loses her mother at a terribly young age and belongs to an economic class that others around her disgustedly call the “dirty poor.” She notices her father becoming increasingly distant and fearful, and one day, he suddenly sends her and her younger brother, Jacob, to the home of a friend in a nearby village without explanation. They’ve barely arrived before they decide to return and look for their father. The girl inadvertently stumbles upon the crucifixion of Jesus—a spectacle that makes a transformative impression upon her: “The sight of such cruelty made me want to run away, but something inside me would not allow me to leave His side. Mesmerized, I stood looking up at Him, thinking that truly this was not a common criminal for He was no ordinary man.” Esther also recognizes the brutalized face of the man who’s being crucified next to Jesus: her own father. Hungry and alone, Esther and Jacob are taken in by Mary Magdalene, who raises them as her own children while teaching them the meaning of Jesus’ ministry and his resurrection. Esther becomes a committed Christian filled with a “fervent love of Jesus.” Debut author Thomas thoughtfully chronicles Esther’s continuing spiritual journey; after she later witnesses a murder, she’s compelled to run away in order to protect Mary and Jacob, and she finds her attachment to Jesus’ teachings to be profoundly tested. Over the course of this book, the author’s command of the historical period is notable, and her knowledge of Christian doctrine and history is even more impressive. Her prose is, by turns, moving and elegant, although the plot sometimes meanders in a desultory fashion. The novel also occasionally adopts a didactic, proselytizing tone, so it will likely be enjoyed most by someone with an abiding interest in Christianity or an outright devotion to the faith.

An often affecting tale of a youngster’s Christian discipleship.