The Carpenter and His Bride: The Birth of Hope

by Paula K. Parker

Simeon ben Anaiah, a revered elder of his people who awaited the consolation of Israel, was famed for proclaiming that "every baby's birth is the birth of hope." But when a young couple from Nazareth present their newborn son at the temple, Simeon realizes his prophecy has been more than fulfilled, for the birth of this child truly is the birth of hope for the whole world.

Yet this tale begins before the birth of the child named Jesus. The Carpenter and his Bride offers a beautiful, stirring—at times surprising—account of the love story between Joseph and Mary as they walk the journey of complete obedience to God’s plan of salvation for humanity through His Son.

Joseph is a carpenter, but more than that, he is an artisan who is called upon to work on the construction in nearby Zippori, one of Herod’s capital cities. Mary is a demure young woman with a quiet spirit and a yearning toward all things beautiful and artistic. Each is drawn to the other's servant heart, until they both realize that their gentle friendship has grown beyond simple affection into full-fledged love.

Award-winning biblical novelist Paula K. Parker weaved an exciting, inviting tale of young love, romance, political intrigue, and potential disaster as she brings fresh insight into a very familiar story.

Genres: Christian

Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2022

About the author

Paula K. Parker has been writing as long as she can remember. With a poet father, writer mother and a story-teller grandmother, she has always been comfortable in the world of words. Early training in music and theater led Paula to a life-long love for the arts. This passion eventually brought her to Nashville, Tennessee, where she - along with her writer husband, Mike - helped establish Carpenter’s Playhouse and Springhouse Theatre Company.

A stint in the public schools, along with seventeen years of home schooling her five children, resulted in not only a quick wit and a unique sense of humor, but also the ability to effectively communicate ideas on a broad range of subjects to a wide age of readers.

Since 1995, Paula has been a professional freelance writer, playwright, and author with more than 2000 articles, sketches, plays, scripts, corporate copy-writing, nonfiction books and novels to her credit.

She has written for such national publications as Christian Single, Christian Health, Clarity, Family Fun (Disney), Citizen (Focus on the Family), HomeLife, Living with Teenagers, the National Drama Service, ParentLife, Release Ink, PB&J, Profile and Bible Express magazines. She contributed to THE YOUNG BELIEVER'S CASE FILES Stephen Arterburn (Tyndale), Thomas Nelson's award-winning Thomas Nelson BIBLE-ZINE, BECOMING, and their AMERICAN WOMEN'S BIBLE. Online she has written for Crosswalk.com and was a contributing writer for the entertainment page at LifeWay.com for over twelve years. From 2013 to 2024, she wrote curriculum for the WinShape summer camp program. She is the Senior Editor for the online entertainment magazine, BuddyHollywood.com.

Paula is an accomplished playwright, having written numerous produced full-length plays—short sketches, and One-Acts. She is best known for her sparkling stage adaptation of "Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice," "Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility," and "Jane Austen’s Emma" have been performed across the United States as well as internationally.

In 2010, her first novel was released, "YHWH, The Flood, The Fish and The Giant" and the sequel, "YESHUA, The King, The Demon and The Traitor," co-written with NY Times best-selling author, GP Taylor. Her biblical novel, "SISTERS OF LAZARUS: Beauty Unveiled," reached Amazon’s Top Ten Best-seller’s list for biblical fiction. The sequel, "GLORY REVEALED: Sisters of Lazarus, Book Two," hit Amazon’s Top 100 Hot New Releases in Christian Historical Fiction. "GRACE EXTENDED: Sisters of Lazarus, Book Three: reached Amazon’s Top Ten Hot New Releases list for biblical fiction, and Amazon’s Top One Hundred List for Hot New Releases for Ancient History Fiction. Her novel, "THE CARPENTER AND HIS BRIDE; The Birth of Hope" debuted at #39 on the Bestsellers in Biblical Fiction chart. It also earned the Bronze Medal in the 2023 Inscriptions Christian Book Awards. Her latest novel, "IF I PERISH: A Queen's Sacrifice" reached several of Amazon's best-selling lists and was nominated for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize Award.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

*If you’re a fan of novels like “The Robe” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, this a must-read!*
A young girl, who loved to serve God and admire His beautiful creations-
A lonely man, who enjoys creating beautiful things from wood-
Their paths have crossed for fourteen years, and now these two are betrothed to one another. A committment that to those of the Jewish faith is as binding as marriage itself…Then, with a flash of angel wings, their lives and history itself will forever be altered…
Such a wonderful story of Mary and Joseph’s lives and courtship before that blessed Holy Night. The author did a marvelous job of “fleshing out” the Biblical tale, without marring the original.
A beloved song kept playing in my head as I read this, by the group 4-Him, years ago.
“Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade
Why him, with all the rulers in the world
Why here, inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl
Now I’m not one to second guess
What angels have to say,
But this is such a strange way to save the world.”

[Shuvai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a wonderful book about the retelling of the birth of Jesus and how things may have been difficult for Mary and Joseph as they were entrusted with the fulfillment of a prophecy.

What I love most is that the book is soaked with the word of God. A great book indeed

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Susan Faloon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it could have been like for Mary, the young mother of Jesus? Many of us have heard, read, then repeated the Biblical account, and perhaps performed in a Nativity scene or play at Christmas time. Women, especially mothers, may have thought about what it could have been like to receive the awesome and fear inducing news that Mary received when an angel appeared before her with the announcement that she above all was chosen to bring the Christ child into the world.

Author Paula Parker has certainly thought about these things and has taken the possibilities so much further. I deeply appreciate the research and thought that has gone into her newest fiction work based on Biblical reality. This book imagines what Mary and Joseph could have been like as people, as a couple who find love and as two individuals who served God and walked in His commandments.
Parker takes the reader into the time period with rich descriptions of two families, a delightful and wise Rabbi, friends, animals and dwellings. The writing painted pictures in my mind of a people devoted to worshipping Yahweh, tradition and customs of the generations from King David forward. She describes food, occupations and the roles of male and females from children to adults during the time period. It's very interesting.

Mary is an endearing character who us beautiful in the physical description as well as her heart and mind. The building acknowledgement and sense of romance between she and the carpenter Joseph is sweet. The entire story is realistic and makes good sense with all that takes place leading to the birth of Jesus. The timeline of the Bible account is adhered to and filled out with imagination and due diligence. It's an excellent story. The Old Testament references are important to the messages of the Rabbi and the prophecy come to life too.
Is it perfect, no. Only God could 'write' a Bible event with perfection.
I'd give it a 4.8 out of 5. Would I buy the book for a gift to another reader? Definitely yes. It is a thought provoking story that is an especially timely read as we move into the holiday season. It would be a great early Christmas gift at Thanksgiving time.The book made me think, recollect my time reading Luke's account of the Messiah's birth and even personal memories of writing and directing plays that celebrated the miracle gift of all time. This is another tribute to that miracle.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a sweet story that humanized some well-known Biblical characters. At times it felt a bit more like a history book than a novel (the author tended to disrupt the story a bit by jumping into describing a tradition or ceremony in the middle of the narrative), but it was still an enjoyable read.

I received an e-ARC from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ulrika Gustafsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed reading novels based on historical events, imagining how it could have happened.

In this book the author tells us a story about Joseph, the carpenter, and Mary, his bride.

In the Bible we get the main events and I believe many of us have wondered about how it unfolded in more detail.

It’s clear that the author knows both the scriptures and the jewish customs of two millenias ago. In my taste there is a little too much details concerning all the rituals and habits, but I must admit that they paint a vivid picture. The language is detailed and resonates true to the time to me. The detailed naming of both first and family names as well as the proper way to adress others according to the jewish customs is consistant.

As I started the book this felt odd and awkward to me, but I got swept up by the story after a while.

The characters are very proper and gets a bit one sided because of that. The exception is Joseph who’s angst about Mary’s mental health makes him a more complex character.

The story supplies the well known verses from the Bible in between the lines of the storytelling, I like that.

Even if I understand that the events told in a few verses and chapters in the Bible took time it’s not something I’ve thought a lot of. A most likely time line is presented in this book.

Of course this is just a story of how it could have happened, not necessarily what actually happened, but it’s still a story that resonates deep within me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictional retelling of the Nativity. It was a beautiful way to bring this story to life. I enjoyed reading this and allowing an age old story come to life in a new way and it was such a perfect book as Advent approaches.

I enjoyed following the sweet romance between Mary and Joseph. Watching their story brought betrothal and marriage in that time frame to life. I kept looking up details about home construction and traditions from the time period that the book brought up or brought to life for me.

Thank you BookSiren for letting me have a copy of this ebook so I could enjoy and share my personal opinions on! I’m so grateful for the exposure to this book!

[Bonny Rambarran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A totally different view of Joseph and Mary
Really enjoyed this book — it is different from other books about Mary and Joseph and gave some possible insight into how it could have been.

[Luci Jamison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars for “The Carpenter and His Bride”. I enjoyed the premise of this book but felt like the story itself was a bit drawn out and lacked tempo. The story also seemed to drag at parts especially when the author repeated past commentaries. When the story gain momentum it seemed to just end.

I can see how the author writes for plays ( per notes about the author) as the author repeated several details that was unnecessary after the first time. The book had the feel of a screenplay. That is not bad if you enjoy that style.

This story follows the Bible with a fictional twist. The author does a nice job of creating backstory and characters to “flesh out” the true people in history. But I am not sure I agreed with her depiction of Mary and Joseph… I realize the author tried to make them human but it seemed to jump about in the emotional spectrum.

I was given an ARC copy of the book from BookSirens and all the opinions are my own.

[Carol Ackerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite often when I read the stories in the Bible I wish I could have been there and experienced all that happened surrounding the story. This book allowed me that opportunity. I know it is only the author's imagination that brought the story of Mary and Joseph and the virgin birth of Jesus to these pages but I could see in my mind's eye all that Mary and Joseph experienced during this extremely supernatural time. I felt like I was right there with them as Mary "pondered these things in her heart", how Joseph must have wondered how Mary could be with child when he'd never touched her, the joy that Elizabeth was filled with having a child in her advanced age.
I thought the author did a great job bringing a favorite Bible story to life in these pages, while still staying true to the Biblical telling of the facts of Jesus' conception and birth.
I received a complimentary copy of this book without obligation to write an honest review. All comments are my own.

[Andrea Comparato · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Carpenter and His Bride is a fictional take on the lives of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.

Real life facts of Jewish culture and bible facts are intertwined with a fictional storyline.

Paula creates a storyline to fill in the biblical truths surrounding the introduction of Joseph and Mary, their marriage, the announcement of the immaculate conception, the birth of Jesus and more.

Blending bible scriptures with storytelling provides a very entertaining and heartfelt story of Mary and Joseph.

The strong details throughout this book really emphasizes the mental images of the setting and characters.

Informative and captivating read.

[H J Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parker weaves Biblical and historical accounts into an enthralling tale. She projects what it would have been like for Mary, while encompassing romance, religion, and familial ties to make a gripping read.
Whilst this book will never be a literal account of Mary and Joseph's early years, Parker helps us extrapolate what these events would have been like for them, and to humanize and empathise with their experiences in a way that brings the reader closer to Christ. I would highly recommend it to help mature Christians reenvision the birth of Christ and understand how these events impacted day to day Jewish customs.

[Jacqueline Terrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within the pages of Paula K. Parker's inspirational novel, "The Carpenter and His Bride," a wondrous tale of Mary and Joseph unfolds. This enchanted work of fiction portrays their lives before the divine intervention that led to a blessed union. The author masterfully recreates a world of familial bonds and friendships with deft strokes, weaving characters from the sacred texts. As I journeyed through this captivating story, I was enraptured by its magic. The author's faithful adherence to Jewish traditions imbued the tale with authenticity, making it all the more enchanting.
I highly recommend this book!
Pittsburg Press
Jacqueline Terrill
Editor-In-Chief

[M A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love historical fiction & Biblical fiction and this book did not disappoint.

As always, things are subjective & open to interpretation, so hard to say how much was accurate or fictional, but I felt it was a very believable interpretation and we'll written.

Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are my own.