This was a freebie off of Bookbub and I saved it to read during December in order to get in the Christmas spirit. I found this interpretation (fictional, of course) of the nativity story to be an interesting take on what might have happened, and I found some of the political insights useful in understanding some of that story. However, some of the story deviated in such a way from Scripture that I found the artistic license disruptive rather than thought provoking. I enjoyed the tale as being told through the point of view of one of Joseph's sons from a previous marriage and enjoyed both of those characters immensely. I struggled a bit with Mary's portrayal, however, and think that I will be pondering it for some time to come. The story dragged towards the middle, otherwise I would have given it four stars. Good writing and an entertaining read. This was a novel telling of events that happened before Jesus' birth. I was definitely intrigued by the opening, where it is revealed that James (the Lord's brother) was Joseph's son from his first marriage. The Bible doesn't tell us if Joseph was married previous to his marriage to Mary, nor if he had other children; only that Jesus was Mary's first-born Son.I enjoyed the interplay between Joseph and James, and the bit of intrigue that happens when Nicodemus is introduced to the storyline. But, when Mary entered the picture, things started unraveling a bit for me. Perhaps it was to portray Mary as human, though 'highly favoured' of God, but she seemed snippy and sullen at times. Definitely not the image I had in my mind of the mother of Christ.What really disappointed me, though, was that the author completely skipped over Joseph's own visions: when he was visited by the angel and told not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, and when he was warned to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt. Both of these decisions were reached, not after angelic visitations, but after discussion with other characters in the story. I think that had those visions even been alluded to (if not talked about outright), the book would have had so much more depth for me.This book could have been so much more than it turned out to be, and it's really a shame, because I actually really enjoyed the author's writing style.2.5 stars
What do You think about Before Bethlehem (2013)?
Excellent and quick read!!! Highly recommended!!
—Kris
A nice story, but definitely not biblical based.
—shrads
A good work of fiction. Filled a gap for me.
—Kesiya
