Picked up the novella Seeker of Stars by Susan Fish for free for my Kindle (from David C Cook publishers) because, um, free books. And then I decided to read it because I am fascinated by stories surrounding the Magi and is it after all Christmastime.
As a boy, Melchior is fascinated by stars but has rigid obligations to apprentice with his rug-making father. When his life is radically changed, he is propelled onto a new path full of danger and glory in pursuit of a special star. The journey leads Melchior to reflect on life and death, dreams and duty, and to find unusual reconciliation within his family and with the God he never knew he sought. Destined to become a classic, Seeker of Stars offers a fresh retelling of the story of the magi, and will appeal to people of all ages and faiths.
It turned out to be a quick and enjoyable read. It has a simplicity to it but I felt like it captured the characters well and gave the reader some sense of what it might be like to live in that time and place. It also includes some interesting exploration of relationships and family life.
Each Christmas, adults and children alike delight at the story of the kings from the East who followed the star to Bethlehem to offer gifts to the newborn Christ. While this familiar tale is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, another little-known version later emerged that claimed to be the eyewitness account of the wise men. This ancient manuscript has lain hidden for centuries in the vaults of the Vatican Library, but through the determined persistence of a young scholar, Brent Landau, this astonishing discovery has been translated into English for the very first time as the Revelation of the Magi.