Kingdom and the Crown Volume 1: Fishers of Men (Kingdom and the Crown) (Kingdom and the Crown, Vol 1)
Lund's nine-volume series the Work and the Glory, which chronicled the beginnings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 19th-century America, has sold three million copies, mostly in the Mormon market. With this new series (projected to include four or five volumes), Lund expands his religious focusDand likely his audienceDby turning his imagination to the beginnings of Christianity. The novel opens with the commencement of Christ's ministry in A.D. 30, and follows the story through many of Christ's early miracles and Messianic proclamations. Lund writes in pulp fiction style, weaving page-turning plots around fictional characters who come into contact with Jesus and his disciples. But he vividly describes the geographical and cultural backdrop of Christ's time in Israel, and uses these facts and texture to bring many of Christ's teachings and parables into sharper relief, giving them context and deeper meaning. An avid biblical scholar will learn little from his commentary, but more casual readers may enjoy the insights he offers clothed in an easy-to-read tale. Readers who have wondered what it might have been like to be in Jesus' presence, and how ordinary people would have responded to him, will overlook the novel's literary flaws and appreciate its sympathetic insight into both those who embraced and those who rejected Jesus and his teachings. (Oct.)Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.