Titus: A Comrade of the Cross

by Florence Morse Kingsley

In 1894, the original publisher of this book searched for a manuscript that would set a child's heart on fire for Jesus Christ. They rewarded the author with $1,000. In six weeks, the demand for this book was so great that they printed 200,000 additional copies!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Classics, Biblical Fiction, School

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1894

About the author

Florence Morse Kingsley (July 14, 1859 – November 7, 1937) was an American authoress of popular and religious fiction.

Florence Morse Kingsley was born in Poe, Medina County, Ohio, to artists Eleanor Ecob and Jonathan Bradley Morse. Florence grew up in Brecksville Township, Ohio where her parents were educators in the local school district.

Florence Morse was a student at Wellesley College from 1876 to 1879. However, she had to leave before graduating because of a severe eye problem. She married Reverend Charles Rawson Kingsley, son of Frances Elizabeth Rawson and Charles Clark Kingsley on July 12, 1882 in Utica, New York. Dr. Charles and Mrs Florence Kingsley had five children: Charles Rawson Kingsley, Jr., Donald Morse Kingsley, Grace Ecob Kingsley, James Morse Kingsley, and John Bradley Kingsley.

Florence Morse Kingsley was a contemporary of fellow writer Lew Wallace, the author of Ben-Hur.

When Kingsley was thirty-five, a publisher held a writing competition to obtain the best manuscript that would inspire a child’s faith for Christ. It was in this contest that Florence Kingsley submitted her manuscript for Titus: A Comrade of the Cross. In six weeks, 200,000 copies had been printed to meet demand. She later published two other works of Christian fiction: the sequel to her original entitled Stephen: A Soldier of the Cross, and the epic tale The Cross Triumphant.

Kingsley was featured in, and a contributing writer to, the Ladies' Home Journal.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Haley Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I didn’t like this book because it seemed improbable that one random person would be there at ever major event in Jesus’ life. But then I realized how much it was helping me remember all those stories and miracles from the Bible.
Kingsley is a genius at really showing you the emotion of a moment. I was shocked at the evil of Judas. Even the Roman guards were disgusted by him. It was so interesting seeing Pilate’s reluctance and eventual consent to Jesus’ crucifixion.
One of the most impactful moments was when it showed Caiaphus’ pain after he had done such and evil act.
I can’t really say much about the actual character Titus without spoiling it 😉
If you’re an emotional reader, beware. You will probably cry.

[Erin Osumi-Demotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great wonderful blessed book to read, and enjoy

I love Historical Biblical Fiction written buy authors who personally know and believe in our God & Savior JESUS CHRIST.
It's getting so difficult lately to find book's that are Scriptural, & Portray the ONE TRUE BIBLICAL JESUS.
In all type of books, be they fiction or non-fiction, so many authors are writing of "another JESUS" which the WORD OF GOD gives clear warnings against, clearly starting that if anyone preaches ( writing about is the same as someone preaching ) another JESUS... let them be accursed.
Now I hunt for books about the Lord Jesus Christ... be they fiction. or non-fiction... and I'm not one to be petty and judge on book formatting, or correct editing... If a book is written non-fiction or fiction, I know certain licence is taken on some made up, or little mentioned Scriptural characters.
Or on the different Mary's... some authors mix the Mary's up. Some don't.
See, in Christian Biblical Fiction, that doesn't matter...
I've read great books where Scriptural Mary's have been mixed up and critics really put down the whole book because of it... and the same with editing and formatting...
And the the thing is in those books, CHRIST is being Glorified, Portrayed, and Worshiped according to the Scriptures.
We should not be like the world. Where hairs are split about Christian Fictional Books, where Jesus Christ is Glorified. Biblically, and according to the Scriptures, the WORD, who created all things. and in HIM all things are held together. To Christ JESUS belongs all Power, and Glory, both now and forevermore, Amen....
So, if the book Proclaims JESUS CHRIST crucified, & risen from the dead, THE "I AM",
the ALPHA & OMEGA, that every knee will bow down to & every tongue will confess that CHRIST is the KING of kings & LORD of lords to the Glory of the FATHER, even if certain characters are mixed together: ( like the Mary's ) or the editing, and formatting are off... as a BIBLE BELIEVING, BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN.... Do what is good, and worthy of good fruit..
Give it 5 stars. We're not of this world so we don't have to judge according to the world's judgement...

Now about this book... The author knows JESUS Personally, and I truly loved this book.
I'm going to buy the next in the series

Please, brothers and sisters, remember... that were not to be conformed to this world. We have been crucified with Christ, and it's not we who live, but CHRIST who lives in us, and the things we do in this life, we do by FAITH in the SON OF GOD who Loves us and gave himself for us... so, we are dead to the world, and ALIVE and free in CHRIST JESUS.
Oh. What Glorious Freedom We Have In Jesus Christ Our LORD.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is a tale of a young man, Titus, the son of a fisherman/thief, living in the time of Christ. But there is more to his story than meets the eye for his childhood is filled with mystery. His brother Stephen, a cripple shares in the journey as they follow the ministry of Jesus Christ from the beginning to his death on the cross.

"Jesus, looking at him, beheld behind the blind eyes the soul stained with guilt, weary with suffering, and hungry for love; and, touching his eyes, he said, 'Go in peace.'" (p.52)

Miss Kingsley has written her book in a style compatible with the scripture verses {KJV style} she uniquely utilizes in her writing for the actual dialogue of her characters. The words of Jesus are the words He truly spoke and that have been preserved for us in His Word! This is not a fast-paced book but it is a heartwarming tale that invites the reader to get to know Jesus once again for the man He was on earth in a beloved story-like .

"The kingdoms of the world and the glory of them! A throne - and not a cross! But the victory had been won, once and forever. He saw, in the sure light of eternity, his earthly road, and it led to Calvary." (p.127)

It's a very compelling story. It was a few places difficult to follow with the language of the book, a little slow feeling in a couple times, but on the whole an endearing tale and a beautiful portrayal of Christ's life and ministry. :)

I found the story to be so intriguing as the plot unfolded and how the fiction was so beautifully intertwined with the truth Christ's life and crucifixion. The end was special and was such a brilliant piece of writing (but I can't give the ending away so you'll just have to read it yourself!). I'm sure all would enjoy and be inspired by this tale of the cross.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, gripping, excellent book. I cried at multiple times in the book - and that doesn't happen often. What will you do with the Savior Jesus Christ?

Highest recommendations.

[Michael David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel isn't the first "Christian" classic I've read: a few years ago, I also read Elegant Narratives. However, I have a lot more respect for that short story collection than this novel because its stories were at least coherent. Like an earlier reviewer pointed out, Titus's plot was a mess.

I understand that it was among Miss Kingsley's aims to tell a more colorful story of Jesus Christ, so she wrote different perspectives to portray the historical milieu at that time. Unlike Akutagawa, however, she was a far less talented writer and simply managed to muddle up Christ's simple story. An example of the novel's lack of direction deals with its chapter breaks: one chapter tells of Christ's exploits, but the next chapter disconnectedly switches into Titus's perspective. The chapter after that transitions into a failed revolt of a wicked man that doesn't seem important to the progression of the story.

I'm not an atheist. I believe in the Christian God. However, I can recognized bad storytelling, and this novel was definitely that. I still ranked it 2 because the cover of my copy was so well-illustrated and my book was so well-preserved that it has bonus points for beauty. There are a lot better Christian novels to read, however. At the top of my head, Graham Greene's Power and the Glory or Shusaku Endo's Silence are both great examples.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most tragically, joyfully beautiful book I have ever read. After my third read of Titus I could not withhold tears each time I thought of it for a week. The portrayal of Christ's transforming power in love and forgiveness has filled me with awe and kept with me in the years since I've read it. While I have a few minor theological quarrels with the story which I cannot explain for fear of spoilers, they are easily forgivable. One thing I particularly appreciate is the manner in which Kingsley shows even the bad characters (such as Caiaphas) as real humans with deep need for God. Titus: A Comrade of the Cross is one of my favorite books even among Lamplighters and I highly recommend it. Have some tissues ready, though!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must listen to at Easter time.....or any time!

Wonderful dramatic audio. It is very intense at times, as the truth of what happened is, so you may want to wait on this until kids are older. My 8 and 6 year old loved it. I had to explain a few things to my 6 year old but it didn't scare her or anything...4/7/15

Listened to this again to prepare our hearts for Easter..krb 3/7/16

[Chesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in the 1800s for the express purpose of cultivating love for Jesus in young people—and this heart truly shines through the story. Compelling reimagining of characters coming into contact with Jesus. It does especially well with communicating the wonder of Him. Be ready for the use of more archaic language and sections that are basically copied straight from the Bible! 😁

[Abigail Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was 10 years old. All the Lamplighter books I've read are good read aloud books.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book.

[LaceyD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was part of Seth's curriculum for the fall semester, 2020. Part of the 7th grade Literature package from Generations, Titus... is filled with adventure, bravery, and captivating glimpses of what may have happened when Jesus walked through cities and villages as a human. I did not read this book from cover to cover, but got enough that I feel qualifies me to move it to the "read" category. :) Would love to read it more in-depth if time allows.

[Megan Triplett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book-- I have thought so much about the crucifixion of Christ as my kids and I have read it together. I am unsure how I feel about the fictional narrative alongside of something so deeply true and integral to our faith-- I could see my children a bit confused by fiction and fact. I'll have to think on that more. But, overall, I loved this book!

[Mikayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so Goodreads lost my review.
Long story short, I felt very distanced from the characters. I felt like there were some completely unnecessary and unresolved plot threads. It was super sad for no reason.
The only part I liked was the parallel part when both Titus and Jesus were praying.

[Katie Rew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! We listened to the Lamplighter Theater version and it was truly phenomenal! Perfect read/listen for the Lenten and Easter season. I personally cried at the ended. Highly recommend!

[Rachel Jewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The begging of the book was a little slow and it took me a bit to get into, but by the end I was hooked.

[Maria Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have extremely high expectations for historical fiction set in Jesus' time and space, and this book met them. It immerses you in the culture and allows you to experience Jesus in person and through hearsay, and you actually get to imagine what it must have been like to see the story unfolding without knowing the ending ahead of time. Jesus is beautiful and real and connectable, and the descriptions of the surroundings pull you right into the moment. Perhaps my favorite part is that much of it is written through the eyes of young Titus, a Greek--not someone who has it all figured out, not someone who is already holy and pious--but a real, believable character with scars and doubts who makes mistakes. Seeing his journey to know Jesus in ways you never would see coming is thrilling and refreshing. And you see the stories from the gospel in such a different light that you can't help but put the book down and think after each chapter. It is written in old English, but ever so relatable. This is a treasure among books.

I do recommend skipping the preface if you read the Lamplighter edition since it has a major spoiler in it.

[Evelynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5.

This Lamplighter Theatre audio was pretty close to five stars, and I think the only reason it lacks the half star is because the beliefs in the book kind of clash with mine.

Oh, and it was very bittersweet.

I knew, as soon as Titus's father forced him to join Barabbas's rebellion, that at least Titus was going to end up as one of the thieves on the cross. And a few seconds later, I got to thinking about his brother's name. Stephen. Oh no, seriously? Yes, he ended up dying as well, though as a martyr and not a thief. The one thing I didn't expect was that Titus ended up being David, the high priest Caiaphas's long-lost son, and that word would get to Caiaphas that it was his son on the cross, and that he said he could do nothing about it. I was like, "HELLO?! IT'S YOUR SON UP THERE! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IIIITTTTTTT!!!!!!"

So, yeah, that made me a little mad.

But, all in all, it was a great production from Lamplighter Theatre, as always.

[Chantilly_lace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful.
Awful, awful, awful.

Some may say I hated it because I am not a christian. But there are plenty of very christian books I have read and greatly enjoyed. This is definitely not one of them.

This is clumsily structured and woven into the bible story of Jesus. A tale about a boy born on the right side of the tracks, kidnapped to the wrong side of the tracks, and....I won't give out a spoiler.

I should though, just to save you the misery of reading it. The language is stilted and formal, the character interactions ring of force by the author.

And the preaching! Gawd, the preaching. Now I read a lot of books that "preach" that I can still enjoy. This is not one of them. The preaching in this book is condescending and irritating.

I bought another one by Ms. Kingsley I can't yet bring myself to start reading. If it is as awful as this one I won't bother trying to finish.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took a while to get used to the old writing style of this book.

I found it was inclined to go on for a long time with whole chapters that had no relation to the main characters. (Yes, these bits were from the bible but I found they got in the way of the story a bit.)

I did enjoy some of the sections telling the gospel story from the chief priests POV.

To quote another reviewer, "One of [the plot twists] was so obvious that I'm not even sure if it was supposed to be a plot twist."

I did kind of like the ending though. It gave it a bit more interest with Titus being crucified... Although I found the very end a bit on the preachy side plot-wise.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids and I are enjoying this book - it is always enjoyable to step back into the time of Jesus with the characters of a good book.
My one critique is that all of the dialogue is in old English which does not flow well for me, and it is obviously not historically accurate, so I am not quite sure why the author did this. I have not found this to be common among other similar novels written at this time. I find myself struggling to go back and forth as I read it aloud to the kids.
Update: Wonderful story with a surprise ending! ( :

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that I think EVERYONE should read. I read it for my Bible class and our whole class got so much out of it. It takes you back to basically the life of Jesus in a fiction/non-fiction type of way, and gives you a different perspective on many things. The description is clear and beautiful and the characters are all well-written. The plot if fine and interesting and dialogue is great! The only thing that gets in the way would be vocabulary. They actually don't use VERY hard words, but with my vocabulary, it wasn't enough. But as long as you have a dictionary by you, you're fine :)

[ashley nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far my favorite Lamplighter audio so far. There were so many different twists and unexpected connections to all the different characters. Lamplighter does a nice job with its audio dramas, that's for sure. I think this one stuck out to me more though because it's biblical fiction and I really like that genre. I didn't read the book... just listened to the audio so I don't know how different they are. But the audio was great!

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is more like 4.5. I can't quite give it five stars, but it was really close. This was a very neat story, yet it was a very bittersweet story. It was amazing how well thought out and how perfect the plot turned out to be, yet it was a sad story. Anyway, I won't say anymore.

[John LaFountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Offers a comprehensive and coherent view

This work is appropriate and understandable to the average reading seeking an integrated story. I enjoyed this as credible and you will too.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very moving account of the joys and struggles the first believers....miracles performed, sins exposed and faith grows in a harsh environment filled with power hungry, small minded men. This is a nice Lenten book as it follows The Passion. Suitable for all ages.

[M Billiodeaux]

Not really a book review, just a note to my friend... Check out my review on God Spake by Moses :)

[Madeline Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, I read this book too long ago to remember much, but I liked it pretty well at the time.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing look at the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Great historical fiction. :)

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the 3rd time, December 26, 2012.