Christ The Lord

In Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, we are taken on a journey with the Holy Family back to their home town of Nazareth in Galilee, where the boy Jesus will grow and learn under the care of Mary and Joseph. At seven years old, Jesus is a curious child, wise beyond his years, yet troubled by the secret of his own identity, which has been kept from him all his life.

Rice paints this most exceptional and unique boy as sincerely and tangibly human - more human than we've ever seen him. His quest is entirely genuine as he struggles each day to know why he is different - to know why he is able to do extraordinary things. Throughout, Jesus interacts with his jealous older brother James, his offbeat uncle Cleopas, his closest friend - Little Salome, and a wise, dogmatic Rabbi Berekhaiah.

The backdrop is rich in historic authenticity. Its detail in the settings and Jewish practices are frequent, to help create a world so full of culture and spectacle, we feel we are actually there. But it is the boy's spiritual journey that is most compelling. He understands that if he can somehow obtain the knowledge of the events around the time of his birth, he will know who he really is. It is a daring, speculative work, but backed by the Scriptures and tradition to give us a glimpse of a Jesus we never knew.