The first Christmas : a story of new beginnings

The first Christmas A story of new beginnings

Stephen Mitchell, 1943-

Book - 2021

"In The First Christmas, Stephen Mitchell brings the Nativity story to vivid life as never before. A narrative that is only sketched out in two Gospels becomes fully realized here with nuanced characters and a setting that reflects the culture of the time. Mitchell has suffused the birth of Jesus with a sense of beauty that will delight and astonish readers. In this version, we see the world through the eyes of a Whitmanesque ox and a visionary donkey, starry-eyed shepherds and Zen-like wise men, each of them providing a unique perspective on a scene that is, in Western culture, the central symbol for good tidings of great joy. Rather than superimposing later Christian concepts onto the Annunciation and Nativity scenes, he imagines Mar...y and Joseph experiencing the angelic message as a young Jewish woman and man living in the year 4 BCE might have experienced it, with terror, dismay, and ultimate acceptance. In this context, their yes becomes an act of great moral courage. Readers of every background will be enchanted by this startlingly beautiful reimagining of the Christmas tale"--

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Subjects
Jesus Christ > Nativity > Fiction.
Shepherds > Fiction.
Birthdays > Religious aspects > Fiction.
Christmas stories.
Bible fiction.
Christmas fiction.
Religious fiction.
Christian fiction.
Genres
Christmas stories
Bible fiction
Christmas fiction
Religious fiction
Christian fiction
Published
New York : St. Martin's Essentials 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Stephen Mitchell, 1943- (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xix, 199 pages ; 20 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9781250790699
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Mitchell (Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness, 2019) examines and expands upon the traditional story of the Nativity by imagining himself in the person of the various characters who populate it and then writing a narrative about the role of each. "Like every magical tale," he begins, "this one asks us to temporarily suspend our disbelief and expand our imaginations." Accordingly, among the traditional Christmas characters he writes about are not only the shepherds and wise men but also the ox and the donkey, both of whom share their stories in first-person voices. Magical, indeed. It is, of course, Mary and Joseph who receive the lion's share of the attention, not in the Christmas context but rather in that of the Annunciation and the agonies of indecision that followed, climaxing with their journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. Mitchell fleshes out his characters, giving the wise men an elaborate backstory, for example. The result is something of an imaginative tour de force, a noteworthy addition to the literature of the season.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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