I received a copy of the book I Saul from Worthy Publishing in exchange for a review of this book. This review is my honest opinion.I am not a fan of fiction. Fiction is to unreal to me. So I was a little nervous and excited at the same time about reading this book. Especially with the authors trying to bring the past of history and the present of fiction together. This book had a lot to live up to. After all it was written by two of my favorite people. Jerry Jenkins and Pastor James MacDonald.I had nothing to worry about. This book gave me great hope for fiction books. I was swept away in this book. I actually felt as if I was literally visiting Texas and walking with Paul without ever leaving the comfort of my home.The main characters in the book is Augie Knox. Augie is a professor at a Seminary. And, there is Luke the trusted friend and companion of Paul. It is through Luke that we learn about Paul and get to visit Rome.Though the character of Augie is fiction. He could be the person sitting next to you at church or the neighbor that lives next door. He is a loving son. He loves the Lord and tries to help others who are in need. He loves and cherishes the lady he is engage to. He is a good friend and protector. If I had a man in mind to marry Augie would be the perfect example.The other main character is Luke who we are all familiar with. Luke is not a fictional character. Luke lived and really was a part of the life of the Apostle Paul. Luke is very caring and patient. He was truly a servant to Paul. He writes down whatever Paul ask him to write. Luke is to be commended because he never grows tired of Paul and I believe he suffered along with Paul as Paul was in chains for the gospelIn this book the parchment of The Apostle Paul is found by someone and manages to get into the wrong hands. The person tries to make a profit of the parchment. Augie, his fiance Sofia and his friend Roger relentlessly try to and fights to prevent the parchment from being exploited for gain.This is a great book and I highly recommend it. In I Saul fiction and non-fiction meets and it was so real. I, Saul brings humanness to the lives of Paul and Luke. It casts them in a light that enables their story to jump to life. The characterization of each is believable as we follow the dialogue of one who is fiercely loyal to his friend, and the friend, who is wildly passionate about life and love for his Lord.I, Saul describes Rome in details that offer a glimpse of the conditions afforded to Paul and Luke. Smells, tastes and temperatures all contribute to the image that unfolds throughout the story. At one point, the reader can actually feel the preciousness of hearing the gospel according to Mark, as he reads his handwritten notes to Paul. The Truth penetrates the darkness of Paul’s dungeon, and transcends the putrid smells found there with the fragrant aroma of Christ found in His fellowship.Weaving two distinct stories into one, the authors (Jerry Jenkins and James MacDonald) tackle issues of the heart that have plagued believers since the beginning of time:• Earning God’s favor through self-righteousness• Trying to be worthy of God through legalism• Using fundamentalism as a substitute for a relationship with GodOther issues woven throughout:• Broken family relationships• Greed that has overcome honesty• The high cost of integrityI urge you to get this book. It is a work of fiction that compels the reader to a greater understanding of the zealousness of a persecutor of The Way, who becomes its greatest advocate. Outstanding!Note: I received this book as part of the I, Saul blog tour from Fiction Addict. I received no compensation for this review and only received a copy of the book for review purposes.
What do You think about I, Saul (2013)?
The book picked up as it went along. A good historical fiction.
—HayleyLeahBlack
This is a great read! I didn't want to put it down!
—sonya
