In Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, Anne Rice creates a very real little boy who happens to be Jesus of Nazareth. Ms. Rice writes like a mommy as she explores a little boy she loves and knows was born to die for the sins of mankind.
What a different twist she brings to the ordinary! The setting of a child and family leaving Egypt to return to their people of Nazareth provides background that is interesting and fresh. Whether we are seeing Jesus deal with His feelings and knowledge of who He is and who He is going to be or looking through the eyes of Mary, his mother, Ms. Rice has taken a very “family” perspective on the whole process.
The Jewish perspective is eloquent without being trite as we see families gathering and passing down the stories of the Torah in the traditional manner. The historical perspective is intact as the people struggle with oppression brought on by the Roman invasion of the country amidst the traditional life cycles of the Jewish calendar.
As the little boy tells his story and then grows into puberty and reaches Bar Mitzvah age, you see a child learning how to reason and ask intelligent “God questions,” knowing all along, what the answers are.
The book leaves you wanting more, as it should.
The real treat is the conversion story of Anne at the end of the book. You can’t jump the gun to get to this seventeen page Author’s Note. It won’t mean nearly as much if you haven’t read this reverent and captivating take on the child Jesus.
CHRIST THE LORD: OUT OF EGYPT
By Anne Rice
ISBN: 0-275-41201-8
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