Dynamic duo by Laura J. Davis (review)

Come to Me

Fictionalizing the story of any Bible character is tricky, but Laura J. Davis chose some of the most sensitive characters when she set out to write Come to Me—the story of Jesus’ life as seen through the eyes of His mother.

Mary’s narrative begins with her betrothal to Joseph, and ends after Jesus’ resurrection. Her attentive audience includes Matthew and Luke, who intend to write her story, as well as fictional characters who accompany her on travels to join John the Beloved (who, in Davis’s tale, is Jesus’s cousin).

Davis, aware of the sensitivity of the characters she is fictionalizing (“With some works of fiction, a writer is free to do what he or she pleases. However, when it is about the Son of God that freedom is somewhat limited” –  from the Foreword) sticks pretty close to the Bible account. Thus don’t expect to find extra-scriptural scandals or controversial “what ifs” in Come to Me.

What you will find is a warm, caring mother who struggles, as mothers do, with letting their kids go, seeing them make mistakes (as Mary interprets some of the things Jesus does), and watching them suffer and die. She comes across as deep, wise, with the odd glint of mischief and humor, but above all a woman worthy of respect.

The experience of seeing Jesus’ life through a mother’s eyes was one of the things I enjoyed most about the book. Another moving aspect was the heart-rending portrayal of Jesus’ passion, recalling scenes of Mel Gibson’s film Passion of the Christ.

This book would be a great addition to any home, church or Christian school library.

Title: Come to Me

Author: Laura J. Davis

Publisher: Word Alive Press, October 21, 2010, 338 pages, paperback & Kindle versions

• ISBN-10: 1435705564
• ISBN-13: 978-1435705562

Learning From the Master

Davis has also written a twelve-week study guide, Learning from the Master, to accompany Come to Me.  This workbook assigns chapters from Come to Me to read, then introduces discussion topics pulled from the chapters (over twenty topics in all), and poses questions with space left in the book to write the answers.

The study guide underlines and reinforces the novel’s themes of surrender, trust, and how to translate principles from the life of Jesus and His mother into modern living.  Learning From the Master also includes word studies, explanations of the history and setting of the times, lists, and a timeline of the Passion Week. Each lesson ends with a prayer

Davis’s friendly conversational style is sure to make this a popular study. It deals with many Bible themes, refers to lots of Scripture, and I can only think that twelve weeks spent in this kind of study would encourage the best kind of spiritual growth. The study guide could be used independently from the novel, however the two together would make an excellent resource for use in Bible studies or book clubs.

Title: Learning From the Master

Author: Laura J. Davis

Publisher: Word Alive Press, March 22, 2012, 124 pages, paperback & Kindle versions available

• ISBN-10: 1770695125
• ISBN-13: 978-1770695122