Book Review: The Family of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury

The Family of Jesus is a new endeavor for popular Christian novelist, Karen Kingsbury.

This is her first Bible study and historical work.  I had no idea what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised.  I wasn’t sure about the fictionalized account and appreciated the letter Kingsbury included at the beginning sharing this was her interpretation.  She did a beautiful job of portraying the stories of Jesus family members in a realistic manner.

She beautifully tells the stories of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus; Zechariah, the knowing uncle; John the Baptist, the chosen cousin; Elizabeth, the faithful aunt; James, the doubting brother; and Mary, his mother.

I loved the way that the stories interlocked to tell the overall story of Jesus from birth to death and the resurrection.  Although I knew each from what the Bible tells us, Kingsbury really brought each family member to life in a realistic way, showing their struggles and triumph.  I often found myself thinking, “wow, I’d not thought of that” or “I wonder if this was how they truly felt.”

I was impressed with the amount of historical research Kingbury investigated to make each story as realistic and accurate as possible.

The Bible study can be done individually or in a group setting.

I am looking forward to the remainder of this series.  The Friends of Jesus will be released soon on July 7, 2015.