The Lost Saint

by Christine Rogers

Marko’s life changes in an instant when he spies an armada of Ottoman ships on the horizon. After a battle separates him from his family, he finds help and guidance with a small group of monks. But when they stumble upon an abandoned church and a mysterious icon, Marko must conquer his own fears in order to make peace with God and to reunite with his family. Journey back to 1522, Rhodes, Greece, and experience with Marko what it means to be lost, then found. A chapter book for ages 10-14.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2020

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth be told, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. What I was expecting was an interesting story about a boy, some monks, a saint, and some history. What I experienced was a gripping story that engaged me on various levels; the story has history, adventure, themes of faith, trauma, healing, and forgiveness. The voices of the characters are believable in their interactions with one another, the story feels authentic to time and place, the pace is just about perfect, and the writing is spot-on for the age-range of the target audience. While the book shows the Orthodox faith being lived, it does so without feeling didactic or like the author is speaking down to the reader, even if the reader is an adult. For that, I am so grateful. There are descriptions of war, battle, injury, and death, but written in such a way that I would still feel comfortable reading the story as a family read-aloud with my kids ages 4-10. I am excited for my kids to read this book, and I have no doubt that they will enjoy the story and grow in faith, perhaps without even knowing it, just as I have.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this middle-grade Historical Fiction about a siege of Rhodes in the 1500s. Well-written and the way that monks and a found icon help to heal his soul was wonderful and brought me to tears. I found that it started a bit slowly, but advise pushing through and getting into the rhythm. It's well worth it.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your kids fight in the car, because apparently that's what kids do, I cannot recommend audio books enough. A good story with a compelling voice actor will keep them from assaulting each other on even the longest car trips.
This is the story of a young Greek boy who gets separated from his family during the assault and capture of Rhodes by the Ottomans in the 15th century. It's a pretty thrilling story with lots of peril and the characters have emotionally compelling back stories.
The story is a "What if" revolving around the finding of the icon of Saint Phanourios - what if a young boy had been there too, and helped carry the icon out of Rhodes?
My children were captivated, and had lots of questions, so we would pause and discuss.
There is some real sadness in the book, and it weighed heavily on both kids- but the narrative was exciting enough that they were always happy to get back into the story whenever we got in the car.

[Maria G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, emotional story, full of perseverance and hope, and overcoming despair and grief. I cried at the end!

[Jennifer Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I heard that Christine Rogers, author of Spyridon’s Shoes, was releasing another novel, I was so eager to read it and for my children to read it. So, when I had the opportunity to review The Lost Saint, I leaped at it! I had to wait my turn to read it, though, because my nine-year-old snatched it the day it arrived.

This tale is full of adventure, sorry, and triumph. Marko is on two journeys, one spiritual and the other literal. After being separated from his family during the Siege of Rhodes, Marko comes to face emotional trauma from his past while he strives to find his family. With the aid of three displaced monks, Marko must make many choices, and together they discover a mysterious icon.

My family devoured The Lost Icon. From the beginning, the world Rogers writes about is rich and deep. It was easy for my children to imagine Marko’s world. This story broaches many difficult and painful ideas, including a traumatic death, the loss of home, war, a crisis of faith, and separation from parents, but Rogers approaches them all so beautifully. Children can handle such difficult things when they are presented in a way they can understand and imagine, and Rogers writes them with such respect and honesty. Our children will not be exempt from struggle and pain, and to meet them in literature first, prepares them for the inevitability in a safe way. The Lost Saint shows children how the saints are applicable to and active in our lives. It shows how the church and Christ are balms to a wounded, journeying soul. These are glorious things for a child to learn from a book.

The story is beautiful, the writing is beautiful, and the emergence of the saint and his story is beautiful. This upper elementary, middle-school-age novel is a wonderful addition to any Orthodox Christian’s library. I am so glad it is in ours.

[Nichole Boz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written, with a wonderful redemption at the end. However, Christine Rogers does not shy away from trauma, the horrors of war and siege, loss of faith, guilt, and difficult emotions within family relationships.
The protagonist is an 11 year old boy, Marko, set in Rhodes in 1522 during a siege. He and his family have suffered a great loss, and are surviving, but there is much tension and distance within the household. Marko is also angry at God, and has shut out the church from his life at this point, despite his parents’ continued faith in the Orthodox Church. Through the events of the siege, Marko is separated from his family and is eventually discovered by a trio of traveling monks. Through love, humility, and generosity, they help Marko begin to heal from his guilt, anger, and sense of isolation from his family. I appreciated that they did not merely give him platitudes, but acknowledged his internal agony. One of the repeated phrases that stuck with me is “Your storm is great, but God is greater”. The true story of the finding of a mysterious icon of St Phanourios is embedded within the fictional story of Marko, and he grows close to the saint through his travels to reunite with his family.
This story is written smoothly, and reads quickly, with a wide vocabulary and engaging characters. It is intended for young adults and teens; due to the traumatic events depicted, I would not recommend it for children under 10. I look forward to sharing it with my children once they are old enough! There were several moments in the story that brought me to tears - from heartbreak, from grief, and from joy. I highly recommend this moving and adventurous tale of great faith and redemption.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected

A moving and joyous tale of loss, sorrow, and faith found. This is not my favorite genre, and omits some details of tradition and history I’ve often heard and read about St Phanourios, but the book is really a lovely example of historical fiction. I truly appreciate that this work does not shy away from the reality of war, death, and loss. A worthwhile read.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This enthralling book is full of adventure, emotion, and faith! The book starts off running as the main character, Marcos, sees ships on the horizon, ships of invaders. Throughout the book, reliance on God and prayer is beautifully interweaved making it easy to address difficult topics such as grief, loss, and fear. When Marcos encounters a few monks, the wisdom and faith of the holy men is wonderfully conveyed through Christine Rogers’s writing to paint a picture of warmth and kindness. The traditions of the Church are seamlessly integrated throughout the book…ringing of the church bells to mark time in the town, receiving a blessing to enter the alter, recitation of Psalms in prayer, just to name a few! The book also recounts the mystery of the discovery of the icon of St. Phanurius. This mystery is artfully interpreted into the journey of the lost child (Marcos) being reunited with his family. The book even comes complete with a brief history if St. Phanurius, the Troparia and Kontakion for the Saint, and a recipe for Phaneropita! This story is bound to capture the minds of young readers!

I listened to the audio version of this book. The audiobook is narrated by the author. Rogers does a great job! The recording is clear and Rogers’s reading style is easy to understand and interesting for the listener. If road trips are your thing, this would make a GREAT option for family listening. We like to take our Godchildren camping and The Lost Saint is sure to become a “go-to.” (the audiobook has all the extras at the end of the story as well, including the recipe for Phaneropita!)

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventurous, heartfelt, satisfying read. In this multifaceted book, Christine Rogers captures the intensity of the domestic life of a family, the upheaval of city besieged, and the restoration of a broken soul through a young man’s journey and the discovery of an icon. Marko’s life is upended when the Turks besiege Rhodes and he is forced to flee. However, even before the Ottoman fleet crested the horizon, Marko had been suffering from guilt and brokenness in his own family. Finding himself outside the city during the siege, Marko meets a pair of monks who are leaving the island as well. Through his travels with them and the discovery of an icon of a saint whom no one recognizes, Marko finds his way to understand how to deal with grief, loss, and guilt. I was initially drawn to this book as I am a big fan of historical fiction. However, I was won over by Ms. Rogers’ style of writing and her ability to create realistic characters that the reader is drawn to. I also found the theme of the restoration of relationships to be incredibly meaningful and one that will resonate with readers, young and old. Readers can look forward to a quest not only to return Marko to his family but to reestablish his family as well.

[Iz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an absolute treat to listen to with both of my children. My 9 year old loved the adventure. This story touches many difficult topics ( a traumatic death, a war, the uprooting of home, and a spiritual crisis of faith). With the way Kh. Christine writes it was very easy for my 9 year old to understand, as she approached them beautifully in a way for children to understand.

I personally loved that the story tied in St. Phanourios! As we often pray to him in our home. The tie in of Marko and the monks finding the icon of St.Phanourios was lovely. And the monks telling Marko “Your Storm is great, but our God is greater”, is something my son has taken to heart.

This book is a lovely reminder to young and old that at all times whether in sadness, time of war, or even the global pandemic we are currently in, we lean on God’s strength when our our fails us. Overall it was a gripping story, that we will no doubt listen to over and over again. I cannot wait to see what brilliant story Kh. Christine had in store for us next.

*(I was provided a copy of this audiobook for review, all thoughts are my own )

[Joan D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marko lives on the island of Rhodes with his parents and sister. It's the 16th century and the island is being threatened by the Saracens. Marko and his family are Orthodox Christians. We learn of their life leading up to an invasion that turns their world upside down. Marko, an 11 year old is grappling with a great tragedy that he was part of. In the course of this the island is taken over by the Saracens. He ends up nearly starving and traveling great distances to find his family.
The other part of the story is the finding of the icon of a saint, Saint Phanourius, who no one has ever heard of before. This icon is deftly woven into Marko's travails. Other people come into his life who have a profound affect on him.
This book was a joy to read. Young readers will like the adventures, and I hope they will appreciate the spiritual adventure as well.
Christine Rogers beautifully captures the crisis of faith that Marko meets. I am not ashamed to say I wept.

[Nancy Parcels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow!! What an amazing story. My 8 year old and I listened to this book on audible. I couldn’t believe the deep conversations we had time and time again. The story telling of not only what the the main character goes through but the views of the support characters was PHENOMENAL. My son and I had conversations about history, war, Saints, monks and being thankful for what we have. The book was action packed so it kept my son’s attention but it was gentle and not graphic at all. This is book is amazing at starting Orthodox discussions with children.

[Monica Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

finding courage

I love the personalities of the trio of displaced monks that help the young protagonist. I love the life lessons tucked away inside the story. I appreciate the way the author took a legend from history and retold it for modern children.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book was for young adults, and I am not a young adult, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and story and want to actually encourage more young adults to read it.

[Fides · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful preteen book for 11 year old audience