In this Quaker retelling of the New Testament saga, readers are invited in to experience the resonant silences in the written record by joining the storytelling carpenter Yeshu, his young neighbors Daavi and Shoshana, and a band of fellow seekers as they travel through wilderness, village, and city in search of what is divine and what it means to be human. Brimming with adventure, laughter, and natural beauty, the quest they share forever alters their lives, and still impacts ours. The brother and sister who are the eyes and ears of this telling step out of the obscurity of history to show us that the meaning of the public story we thought we knew eludes us until our personal story makes it our own. Before Daavi can take his first footstep at Yeshu’s side, Shoshana goes mysteriously missing, leading him on a search to save her that puts his own soul in the balance during his journeys with Yeshu and beyond. When the novel opens, Daavi is a young lad helping out in his neighbor Yeshu’s workshop. He hands the carpenter tools and fetches him water from the village well. In return, Yeshu tells Daavi stories. Over time they forge a friendship that is deepened by the arrival of Yeshu’s second cousin Yohanan, who wanders the wilderness, emerging from time to time to sing praises of the natural world and baptize seekers of the spirit. Among those seekers are the “lost soul” Maria Magdalena and the exuberant Thunder Brothers, James and John. They treat Daavi as their equal, and he blossoms. The transformative impact of Yeshu’s teachings and example are illuminated in the dilemmas facing Daavi and his friends, and in the choices they make and avoid. They are challenged to embrace all living creatures as sacred, and the role of family and community are pitched against responsibility for the destiny of society. Each of them must answer their questions personally, and Daavi’s lifelong road to clarity of insight and effective action is neither level nor straight. The novel’s author is an award-winning writer, poet, and applied sociologist with a lifetime of service to organizations and communities of low-income ethnic groups throughout the Americas. During a Fulbright in highland Ecuador, he produced a trilingual collection of documentary short stories—in Spanish, Quechua, and English. He has published six stories from the novel, one of which won an Award of Merit for Seasonal Article, from the Associated Church Press. His professional publications include four books and 30 articles. As a Creative Writing major at Stanford University, he studied under Wallace Stegner. He then served in the Peace Corps in Peru, and earned an M.S. in Sociology and a Ph.D. in Development Studies from the University of Wisconsin. His career in international grassroots development is still ongoing. For five decades, the author has been a performing storyteller at folk festivals, spiritual retreats, Indian reservations, and on radio and television. This avocation shaped his narrative voice, while his cross-cultural international development work molded his philosophical and ethical outlook. The life lessons and oral history techniques he learned from Indians and Blacks throughout the Americas have informed his vision of the teaching style and humanistic practices of the historical Jesus and other New Testament figures. These lessons of love, compassionate service, and forgiveness were amplified by the author’s long-time spiritual commitment to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). His novel is intended for readers of all ages and spiritual backgrounds. The author is the father of two adult children and a pre-teen—who have all served as his fiction editors. He visits classrooms and libraries where he presents a self-scripted, first-person performance of Abraham Lincoln telling stories of his Indiana childhood.
Charles David Kleymeyer won two national prizes for fiction in 2014. He is also an applied sociologist with a lifetime of experience serving organizations and communities of low-income ethnic groups throughout the Americas. He has published short stories and poetry, and during a Fulbright Fellowship in highland Ecuador, he produced a trilingual collection of documentary short stories—in Spanish, Quechua, and English. Over the past decade, he has published six short stories from the novel’s manuscript, one of which won an Award of Merit for a Seasonal Article, from the Associated Church Press. His professional publications include four books and more than thirty articles. Kleymeyer majored in Creative Writing at Stanford University where he studied under Wallace Stegner. He served in the Peace Corps in Peru, and subsequently earned an M.S. in Sociology and a Ph.D. in Development Studies from the University of Wisconsin. His career in international grassroots development is still ongoing. For five decades, the author has been a performing storyteller at folk festivals, spiritual retreats, Indian reservations, and on radio and television. This avocation has helped shape his narrative voice, while his cross-cultural international development work has molded his philosophical and ethical outlook. The life lessons and oral history techniques he learned from Indians and Blacks throughout the Americas have informed his vision of the teaching style and humanistic practices of the historical Jesus and other New Testament figures. These lessons of love, compassionate service, and forgiveness have been amplified by his long-time spiritual commitment to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and his novel is intended for readers of all ages and spiritual backgrounds. The author is also the father of two adult children and a pre-teen—all of whom have served as his fiction editors. He also visits classrooms and libraries where he presents a self-scripted performance—in first-person and authentic costume—of Abraham Lincoln telling stories of his Indiana childhood and how it impacted him as a father and President. YESHU is a book written by a storyteller about storytellers, including a Jewish village carpenter, one of the premier tellers of all times.
While this book is described as a retelling of the New Testament, it is so much more. That is only the first of many layers.
This book is a perfect for anyone (of any religion or no religion)who is on a quest to finding meaning in a hectic, frightening world. Through wonderful storytelling, Kleymeyer reminds us of the importance of compassion and caring for others and our environment, above all else.
His story gives this message more power by showing us that through silence, being still and listening for our inner voice or the voice of the divine within, we can find a path to live that compassionate, caring live in the midst of what can seem like chaos all around. I'm reading it again and find more lessons each time.
Hands down one of the most wonderful books I have ever read. The storytelling draws you in like a campfire on a cool summer night. This tale of growth, discovery, relationships, community, and love is certainly told with the artistry of a storyteller. Each chapter is a gem. Each sparkles with poetic beauty and some element of deep wisdom - you know, the kind a child can come up with at the breakfast table, dropping your jaw and making your day in one sweep. Or the kind that strikes you as you look at the horizon at sunset.
One of the best parts of the book is the balance between adventure - drawing you forward into the next chapters - and absolutely delectable prose - which holds you in the moment savoring each word and image.
I've read it cover to cover twice, and read many chapter multiple times. There is no doubt I will read it again and again - to myself, to the children in my life, to anyone who's heart is open to joy.
This is a lovely book. It is written in simple language but the concepts are as eloquent and beautiful as the high ideals behind it. I feel like Yeshu does what Anne Rice attempted to do with her Christ the Lord books. Kleymeyer does it better than Rice does, as I found the Christ the Lord books to be stuffy and rather dull.
Yeshu is readable and relatable. Perhaps there are those with deep seated convictions about the inerrancy of the Bible and who will be too steeped in their own interpretation of the story of Christ to be open to this reading of the New Testamant. There are certainly supernatural elements at work within the story (lots of visions and dreams foretelling the future) but much Christian superstition is swept away in favor of a more inclusive message of love. Love for others, love for nature.
“I am God. You are God, too,” he said. “And we are God.”
Though it's framed around the Christ-myth it is a story that is accessible to everyone (including this atheist) because it's really a story about humanism.
I take your hand, you take mine; we walk forward together. Treat others as you would have them treat you; serve your neighbors as you would your family. Build up your community by discovering and sharing your gifts – we are all responsible for one another. Rage is a blister to be lanced and healed with acts of love.
A healthy dose of respect for the earth is also appealing.
A community is a boat, and everyone in it a lifeline. Take from the earth only what you need, leaving the seeds and the roots imbedded and the soil richer than before. Day in, day out, always make time to laugh, dream, show love, seek God.
This book reminded me most of Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. It's an obvious comparison as Siddhartha is the telling of the story of the Buddha.
My biggest problem with this book was the length. I don't mind large books but Yeshu, even as tender as the writing was, had the tendency to drag. At nearly six hundred pages it starts to become tedious. I think a good editor could have cut half of the book and still told a compelling and full story about the life of Christ.
Other than that, the characters are well developed and (of course) likable. I particularly enjoyed John and James (The Thunder Brothers).
Michelangelo is supposed to have said that he could look at a block of marble and see within it a sculpture waiting to be revealed if he would just chip away the unnecessary parts. I thought about that image often while reading this book. There is a good novel in there -- but it is imprisoned within a whole lot of extra stuff that should be chipped away. The "extra stuff" is not bad material, any more than the chipped-away marble is of poorer quality than the marble that composes the angel inside the shapeless block. It just seems as if the author wanted to use every single idea for a story or chapter that was in his imagination, and the weight of the comprehensiveness makes for a flabby book.
If I correctly remember the information I saw before I purchased this title, the author, a Quaker, wanted a telling of the life of Jesus that children in his faith community could relate to. The characters he draws of John the Baptist, Jesus, Mary his mother, and Mary Magdalene come to life. They feel like friends to the reader as they are friends to the novel's narrator, a younger boy who grows up with the story-telling Yeshua as his neighbor and eventually follows him as he goes into the world.
The short chapters stand alone, often complete stories in themselves. Readers are not left with cliff-hangers shoving them forward into the next chapter. It was a good book to carry around in my e-reader for times in waiting rooms, buses, etc. It took me more than a year to finish it this way -- it is very long. At times the writing seemed klunky, at other times fairly smooth. That made me wonder how much the author evolved as a writer/story teller during the creation of this work.
As a Quaker myself, I was sensitive to those places where a particularly Quaker perspective was being woven into the story. These parts embarrassed me, though I can't say why. It may have been because those were the places where I felt the story was being stretched in a particular direction to make a certain point, and it seemed a bit ham handed, which is perhaps unfair of me, especially in a book intended for children.
Coming in a bit long at 582 pages, I wasn't sure what to expect as I began reading Yeshu. In some ways, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Yeshu is the story of Jesus told through the eyes of a young boy named David who grows up in Nazareth and counts Jesus as a friend even before his ministry begins. The first half of the book recounts fictional events to fill in some of Jesus' life before his ministry begins, and the second shows his ministry through new eyes.
Yeshu does an amazing job of painting Jesus as a human man with questions, fears, and desires. After reading this book, it is much easier to think of Jesus as a friend, as someone who understands what our lives are like, and as someone who has experienced pain at the hands of others and for their sakes. Evangelical Christians may want to be cautious while reading, however, because as beautifully as the humanity of Christ is displayed, his divinity is slighted to the point of nonexistence. Miracles are dumbed down and the resurrection is not portrayed as a literal raising from the dead. Critical readers will be able to discern what is true and what is fiction in this book, and if they do so the journey can be quite enjoyable.
Major themes that arise are storytelling and the power that stories can have over our lives and feelings and peace and non-violence as the answer to wrath and war. The author's Quaker, Hispanic, and Native American studies have obviously played a part in his shaping of this book and the way it is told. The writing itself is beautiful in it's imagery and description, making it enjoyable for anyone who can appreciate a well-written tale.
In short, this book is a lovely story. Critical reading and good judgement will help discern what is fiction and allow readers to enjoy the story that is being told.
What would it have been like to be a neighbor and friend of Jesus when he was a young man--working as a carpenter, immersed in village life, gradually growing into the spiritual depth that would lead him to his ministry? And what would those years of wandering ministry have felt like to a teenage boy from Nazareth—Jesus’ neighbor—who was welcomed to follow along with the disciples?
This rich, wonderful book answers those questions. I highly recommend it! It’s packed with realistic detail about life in a small Jewish community; vivid characters (Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist, etc.); poetic prose; and accessible exploration of spiritual ideas. Yeshu (which is what Jesus is called in the book) is narrated by Daavi, a young boy who lives next door to Yeshu and becomes his close friend.
Not a bit preachy or sentimental, the book is a good read. It portrays the day-to-day life, relationships, conflicts, and development of Jesus as an authentic person, a Jewish man of his times, through his 20s and in the three years of his preaching and healing on the road. School-aged children, young adults, and adults can all savor this book—and non-Christians might enjoy it too for the writing, characters, and ideas. There’s a parallel story involving Daavi’s family and his sister, who has mysteriously disappeared, that might especially appeal to young teens. Many of the book’s very short chapters center on storytelling. Yeshu, his mother, and his grandmother are celebrated storytellers in their village and stories are one of the main ways the characters and spiritual concepts in the book reveal themselves. Individual chapters could easily be excerpted for a discussion-starter, lesson, or read-aloud in a youth group or church class.
I received this book for free, with the agreement that I would read it and write a review on Goodreads, as well as on Amazon. At first, I was intimidated by the book's length...582 pages! But I quickly got into the story and am happy to rate it a solid five out of five.
What was it like growing up in Jesus' time? What if you were a child and were actually able to be there when Jesus did his thing? How did his death change the world in the short term?
Yeshu is a GREAT story. Many parts of Jesus' life and spiritual growth have been fictionalized, but in a way that brings in just enough Bible, history and common sense. While this is an excellent story for Christians, it's just an excellent story of a boy growing up in a very turbulent time...a time that continues to impact the world. Each chapter is a quick read, but I found myself going back and rereading several of them to catch the subtle twists and turns. It seems like there are so many stories within this story. Christian or not, you WILL enjoy this novel!
Ok so I received this book for free in exchange of an honest review. So at first I was like what did I get myself into. I gotta say this book is like 600 pages! But in the end, it was worth it. First of all, it's the story of Jesus through someone else's eyes. At the beginning, it was hard for me to really get into the story, but once I got into it, I was really into it. Kleymeyer has a simple way of writing so it was easy for me to understand. I learned a lot by reading this book. I learned how love, silence, compassion and peace are important. Everyboby can read this book, you don't have to be christian to appreciate. So overall, I gave 5 stars because it deserves 5 stars.
A tale of discovery, growth, community ,relationships, and love Each chapter tells its own story. Kleymeyer reminds us we should show compassion and caring for others. While the book is described as a retelling of the New Testament, it is only one of many layers. If your on a quest to find meaning in this hectic world this is the perfect book for you. He shows us that through silence, listening for our inner voice we can find our path to compassion and be able to live in what may seem like chao's all around us. A truly inspirational read.
I did not complete this book but that's just me and the kind of reader I am. I tend to leave and pick up books whenever and because of whatever phase I may be going through in life. I have read the first few chapters and I thoroughly enjoyed them. It was beautiful story-telling and it let me experience what a day in the life of Jesus may have looked like. I plan to pick it back up when I'm done the current book I'm reading. :)
First of all, does anyone remember a book called I Am Aram? I feel positive I read it 15 or 20 years ago, and Yeshu reminded me so much of the family life in that story. But the internet tells me I Am Aram doesn't exist.... Whatever I'm thinking of lived on our bookshelf at home, so maybe someone in my family can clue me in about what I'm thinking of?
Back to the topic at hand, I knew the author of this book about a decade ago and remember him talking about Jesus's lost years --- apparently, after Jesus's birth, he dropped out of the historical record for 30 years. Despite being anti-Christian, those lost years struck me as very evocative, so I'm glad the book became a reality!
My favorite parts of Yeshu were the simple descriptions of daily life for poor Jews at the time of Christ. The mystical journey into nature was also fascinating and many of the parables were thought-provoking. In addition, I would really like to believe that Jesus had at least one female disciple who he treated as an equal, although I'm afraid that's probably historical white-washing.
What didn't I like? It felt odd to have supernatural things happening in the second half of the book when the first half felt so real (and when Jesus makes a point of not being able to restore the legs on a little girl). I didn't like that Jesus seemed to know that he was going to be betrayed and did nothing about it --- from a purely story-telling perspective, I think he's more interesting if he doesn't have super powers. In other words, I didn't like the parts of the book that were like the Bible, which means it's probably just my prejudices speaking. :-)
All that aside, Yeshu is a beautifully written book, and if an atheist can enjoy 600 pages about Christ, anyone can.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I did not finish this book. Usually when I don't finish a book, I rate it with one or two stars. In this case, the book is well-written. The reason I did not finish it was the inner struggle I had with reading a fictional book about Jesus. I feel that what God intends me to know about Jesus I learn from the Bible and my experience. I did not read anything that I felt was inconsistent with what I know about Jesus. In fact, many moments felt quite familiar with what I do know. However, I just couldn't quiet the uncertain feeling I had enough to pick up the book and finish it, especially given the length.
I encourage those who do not have this personal struggle to read the book. It may help fill some of the holes we have in the timeline of the life of Jesus and give you peace.