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The Book of the Shepherd
Stone the builder who erects a house that falls on its occupants. Sever the hands of the criminal who pilfers livestock or grain or another's garment. Whip the child who defies an elder. For such is the law and the law must be obeyed.
For generations, these ironclad rules had governed the people. Nobody questioned whether it was right to humiliate a child or execute a murderer. An eye for an eye was the way of the world.
But was there another way?
When an antiquarian book is discovered in the disheveled study of an old Vermont farmhouse, the house's new owner has the volume translated. The result is The Book of the Shepherd, a timeless story full of life lessons for us all.
Set in a mythical time, in an unnamed land, The Book of the Shepherd tells the tale of a shepherd, Joshua, who is troubled by the harsh code of "an eye for an eye" that governs his world. Called by a dream, the shepherd sets off on a journey to find "the new way."
Accompanied by Elizabeth, a former slave who is kind and generous, and David, a boy who must learn to walk in new shoes, the shepherd knows that "an age of miracles" will come when the new way is found.
But the journey is not without incident. En route to a cave near the Great Inland Sea, the travelers meet a cast of extraordinary characters, including the Storyteller, the Apothecary, the Blind Man, and the Stranger. Each imparts an important lesson that pushes the travelers toward their destiny. At the cave, Joshua must see if he can bring forth secrets long buried. But he, Elizabeth, and David will also discover that sometimes what we have been searching for has been inside us all along.
187 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1953
3 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Joann Davis
27 books4 followersJoann Davis is a former book editor. She is married to Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much About History and America's Hidden History, among other titles for adults and children.
Joann and Kenneth C. Davis have two grown children, Jenny and Colin, and divide their time between Dorset, Vermont, and New York City.
Right now, I am taking a breather on my own work and helping my husband, Ken Davis, prepare for the upcoming publication of Don't Know Much About Anything Else. Check out Ken's page at HarperCollins.com for all of his upcoming events.
Joann and Kenneth C. Davis have two grown children, Jenny and Colin, and divide their time between Dorset, Vermont, and New York City.
Right now, I am taking a breather on my own work and helping my husband, Ken Davis, prepare for the upcoming publication of Don't Know Much About Anything Else. Check out Ken's page at HarperCollins.com for all of his upcoming events.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 4, 2009
I guess I tried to make too much of this book. I was hoping it would be the next "Shack" or something. Fine story, sweet message, and I read it in about an hour. But it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.
June 17, 2021
3.5*
Vídeo de Opinião em: https://youtu.be/Rt2fFMHocaw
É difícil descrever este livro, mas intrepreto-o a cima de tudo. como uma reflexão das nossas ações. A caminhada de cada um com o olhar posto na aprendizagem pessoal e no amor ao próximo.
Vídeo de Opinião em: https://youtu.be/Rt2fFMHocaw
É difícil descrever este livro, mas intrepreto-o a cima de tudo. como uma reflexão das nossas ações. A caminhada de cada um com o olhar posto na aprendizagem pessoal e no amor ao próximo.
April 23, 2021
The Book of the Shepherd: The Story of One Simple Prayer, and How It Changed the World, by Joann Davis
A fable and allegory structured around the unmentioned legend of St Francis. Sweet tale, if you don’t mind its polemic tone. Having read lots of Celtic tales and myths I can accept and enjoy the intent to convey virtues through the characters and their epic journey.
“That day the servant was set free for saying strong things gently and gentle things strongly.” (p37)
“I see with my ears, feel with my mind, and know with my heart. Have done since I was a boy.” (p71)
“Beware the stranger whose smile does not reach his eyes.” (p86)
A fable and allegory structured around the unmentioned legend of St Francis. Sweet tale, if you don’t mind its polemic tone. Having read lots of Celtic tales and myths I can accept and enjoy the intent to convey virtues through the characters and their epic journey.
“That day the servant was set free for saying strong things gently and gentle things strongly.” (p37)
“I see with my ears, feel with my mind, and know with my heart. Have done since I was a boy.” (p71)
“Beware the stranger whose smile does not reach his eyes.” (p86)
January 4, 2025
This journey reminded me a lot of Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist”, so it was big surprise he gave it high accolades. The comparison is based on the flow or the writing and consistent lessons taught throughout their walk. This book is exactly what is advertised itself to be “the story of one simple prayer”. Highly recommend, would 100% use as a dual gift with “The Alchemist”. I truly enjoyed this quick read that had me rewiring certain lessons that were taught to me growing, now I have proper reasoning behind them.
December 4, 2020
This is a lovely little book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It is a quick read and an inspiring fable, reinforcing the insights we already know about replacing hatred with love, sadness with joy, darkness with light . . . The Prayer of St. Francis. During these days of COVID-19 and the politics with our neighbours to the south and their recent Presidential election, it was refreshing to read this tale of the Shepherd, Elizabeth and the young boy, David.
April 18, 2018
A sort of Canterbury Tales for today based on a time before Chaucer. A great little story of learning, understanding and showing peace. With somewhat of a New Testament type overtone, and a positive vision for all this is a great little read!
October 24, 2021
Cute. I should have read that in one sitting, not days. It’s going to a ‘little library’ I see on my daily walks. Has a good heart at its core, and is the sort of book that someone who needs the message, will find at the exact time they do!
December 27, 2023
a super easy read, more of a fable or tale rather than a “book” book. best way i would describe it is that it’s written in such a way that any young adolescent/teen/child would be able to read it, but it would take an adult reader to truly understand the key messages
May 25, 2024
Nice story
March 27, 2025
I wish I could give more than 5 stars⭐️
I really enjoyed reading this allegoric tale.
So many life lessons are written and conveyed in very simple and effortless manner.
I really enjoyed reading this allegoric tale.
So many life lessons are written and conveyed in very simple and effortless manner.
January 16, 2010
I had purchased this book on Christmas Eve, having read a review of it; and I picked it up needing something to read during my hour at our church’s Perpetual Adoration Chapel. I am most glad that I did so; this book was read by me in the entirety of one hour (and while I read quickly, I’m no Evelyn Woods), and is a book that is meant to be re-read and pondered upon. (For those not wishing to see the rest of my review, I loved the book, and though half of me wants to send it to my sister next month, the other half of me wants to keep it close by.)
The dust jacket of the book is designed to look like that of a very old book; the author gives a foreword of how she “found” the book (written in a mixture of Middle English and Dutch) among the effects left in a house she had purchased, with a note that the original owner of the house had purchased the book in a Vermont bookstore, and that he had noted that he needed to get it translated, but had died before he could do so.
Once allegedly translated, the book is a parable, written simply, in no particular time or place. A Shepherd with a small flock of sheep hears the cry of a boy being brutally beaten by his father for an infraction; the world in which they live holds that a man may whip his child if he disobeys an order, and the boy had disobeyed by oversleeping and not doing his father’s will. The Shepherd goes to the boy and bandages his wounds; he is troubled to be in a world where such things can happen. After a dream in which he talks to an Old Man, the Shepherd decides to go in search of the New Way. First, he goes to check on the boy. He finds that the boy has been disowned, and is now in the care of a young woman who used to be a slave in the royal palace. The young woman has a map, given to her by her dying grandfather, that shows where to go to find the New Way; so the Shepherd and his sheep, the Boy, the Boy’s Donkey, and the Young Woman set off to find the New Way. During their journey, they meet with several people (a Storyteller, an Apothecary, a Blind Man, and a Stranger), and the Shepherd has more dreams of the Old Man. The trio overcome trials in finding the New Way, and find it only through cooperation with each other.
The Journey to find the New Way is a journey each of us may take; but it is a journey that one must want to take.
The dust jacket of the book is designed to look like that of a very old book; the author gives a foreword of how she “found” the book (written in a mixture of Middle English and Dutch) among the effects left in a house she had purchased, with a note that the original owner of the house had purchased the book in a Vermont bookstore, and that he had noted that he needed to get it translated, but had died before he could do so.
Once allegedly translated, the book is a parable, written simply, in no particular time or place. A Shepherd with a small flock of sheep hears the cry of a boy being brutally beaten by his father for an infraction; the world in which they live holds that a man may whip his child if he disobeys an order, and the boy had disobeyed by oversleeping and not doing his father’s will. The Shepherd goes to the boy and bandages his wounds; he is troubled to be in a world where such things can happen. After a dream in which he talks to an Old Man, the Shepherd decides to go in search of the New Way. First, he goes to check on the boy. He finds that the boy has been disowned, and is now in the care of a young woman who used to be a slave in the royal palace. The young woman has a map, given to her by her dying grandfather, that shows where to go to find the New Way; so the Shepherd and his sheep, the Boy, the Boy’s Donkey, and the Young Woman set off to find the New Way. During their journey, they meet with several people (a Storyteller, an Apothecary, a Blind Man, and a Stranger), and the Shepherd has more dreams of the Old Man. The trio overcome trials in finding the New Way, and find it only through cooperation with each other.
The Journey to find the New Way is a journey each of us may take; but it is a journey that one must want to take.
January 30, 2010
I wanted to like this book. Coming on the heels of reading Peter Rollins' book of parables, I was hoping for a lengthier story in the same genre, but they were quite different experiences. The premise was intriguing enough -- an ancient manuscript discovered in a decrepit old house, "bound in vellum...written in an unusual hybrid of Middle English and Dutch" and translated into the tale shared in this book. Unfortunately I found the story to be too predictable and less than subtle. I realize that part of the problem is the genre -- can you blame a morality tale for being didactic? The story wove a variety of biblical images throughout the narrative, some more effectively than others, as well as a fair number of clichés. ("Every narrator makes choices...Some see the wine jug half empty; others see it half full.")
[Spoiler alert:] While I agree with the basic sentiment expressed in the book (essentially "be the change you want to see in the world") I have to admit I was expecting some kind of a twist at the end and despite the fact that I love St. Francis' prayer (my wife and I included it in our marriage ceremony and have it hanging in our house), I felt cheated to find that the big secret was something so well known.
Perhaps I was just expecting too much.
Originally posted at larynandjanel.com.
[Spoiler alert:] While I agree with the basic sentiment expressed in the book (essentially "be the change you want to see in the world") I have to admit I was expecting some kind of a twist at the end and despite the fact that I love St. Francis' prayer (my wife and I included it in our marriage ceremony and have it hanging in our house), I felt cheated to find that the big secret was something so well known.
Perhaps I was just expecting too much.
Originally posted at larynandjanel.com.
February 9, 2010
I just finished reading “The Book of the Shepherd” by Joann Davis. It is an odd little book…one that I have mixed feelings about. But even with my mixed feelings, I can say that there is much good to be learned from this book.
This book is written like a fable and is a very quick read. It may have over 180 pages but because of the way it is laid out, it can be read in 1-2 sittings. It chronicles the tale of a shepherd named Joshua. Joshua is troubled by the harsh code of “an eye for an eye” that governs his world. He has a dream in which he is called to find a “new way”, so he sets off on a journey to learn the new way. Along the way, Joshua picks up two others who travel with him and together they encounter an interesting cast of characters. With each encounter along the journey, they learn a valuable lesson. Finally, they reach the end of the journey, find the “new way” and take their changed lives back to their world.
This book is based on The Prayer of Saint Francis and the good learned from that prayer is worth the read. But, I will say that the story is quite simple and lacks a “fullness” that you find in most books. I wouldn’t pay the $19.99 list price…but used copies are now available on amazon.com for $2-3 and for that price, it is worth the read.
I am give “The Book of the Shepherd” 3 stars out of 5.
This book is written like a fable and is a very quick read. It may have over 180 pages but because of the way it is laid out, it can be read in 1-2 sittings. It chronicles the tale of a shepherd named Joshua. Joshua is troubled by the harsh code of “an eye for an eye” that governs his world. He has a dream in which he is called to find a “new way”, so he sets off on a journey to learn the new way. Along the way, Joshua picks up two others who travel with him and together they encounter an interesting cast of characters. With each encounter along the journey, they learn a valuable lesson. Finally, they reach the end of the journey, find the “new way” and take their changed lives back to their world.
This book is based on The Prayer of Saint Francis and the good learned from that prayer is worth the read. But, I will say that the story is quite simple and lacks a “fullness” that you find in most books. I wouldn’t pay the $19.99 list price…but used copies are now available on amazon.com for $2-3 and for that price, it is worth the read.
I am give “The Book of the Shepherd” 3 stars out of 5.
February 22, 2010
From the first page, it hooks you. A boy is being beaten by his father in the marketplace. A Shepherd hears the commotion and comes to aid the boy and to tend to his wounds. Eventually, the Shepherd, a slave released, Elizabeth and the boy join together on a journey to find 'a new way'. Each encounter they experience provides a glimpse of wisdom in the living of a simple prayer. A new way, a way different than the one the world presents upon each rising sun.
Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me sow pardon. Where there is doubt, let me sow faith, Where there is doubt, let me sow faith, Where there is despair, let me sow hope, Where there is sadness, let me sow joy, Where there is darkness, let me bring light. For it is in the giving that we receive, It is in the pardoning that we are pardoned, And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. For this is the Law of Substitution.
This, in the end, is the new way, and what a world we could enjoy if we would heed it's wisdom.
Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me sow pardon. Where there is doubt, let me sow faith, Where there is doubt, let me sow faith, Where there is despair, let me sow hope, Where there is sadness, let me sow joy, Where there is darkness, let me bring light. For it is in the giving that we receive, It is in the pardoning that we are pardoned, And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. For this is the Law of Substitution.
This, in the end, is the new way, and what a world we could enjoy if we would heed it's wisdom.
February 16, 2010
*THE BOOK OF THE SHEPHERD is a fable that, quite honestly, didn't capture my attention or my heart. In fact, I was more interested in the story behind the story--that Joann Davis found an old book in a broken-down house that she had purchased after the former owner, an elderly professor, died sitting at his desk. He had left instructions that all contents of the house should go to the next homeowner. On the old book, he had made a note to have it translated one day.
So to fulfill the old professor's dream, Joann Davis found a way to have the story translated and now published. I think that the message attempting to be delivered through this fable is a wonderful one--one of love and forgiveness and mercy. However, the synopsis on the book's jacket is what helped me really understand what the story was about. Then again, I've never been a great lover of fables.
*This book was given to me for review by The Ooze Viral Bloggers.
So to fulfill the old professor's dream, Joann Davis found a way to have the story translated and now published. I think that the message attempting to be delivered through this fable is a wonderful one--one of love and forgiveness and mercy. However, the synopsis on the book's jacket is what helped me really understand what the story was about. Then again, I've never been a great lover of fables.
*This book was given to me for review by The Ooze Viral Bloggers.
February 12, 2011
A beatiful simple short story (or maybe legend or a fairytale - you choose) that shows us the way we behave and act and on the other hand the way we want to behave and act. Obviously, these are not the same ways and most of the times they are very far one from another.
The prayer, simple as it is, shoukd be seen in every action we make during our life. But sadly, it is not shown. Not even a little bit.
In the book we see the way the shepherd makes, with his companions, to finaly see the light. They meet people on their way (good and evil) that teaches them (everyone in his own way) a lesson for life.
Eventualy, it is our own choice the way we act. We could be evil or we could be good. It's only our choice...
The prayer, simple as it is, shoukd be seen in every action we make during our life. But sadly, it is not shown. Not even a little bit.
In the book we see the way the shepherd makes, with his companions, to finaly see the light. They meet people on their way (good and evil) that teaches them (everyone in his own way) a lesson for life.
Eventualy, it is our own choice the way we act. We could be evil or we could be good. It's only our choice...
February 7, 2010
This book took me just one day to read. It's an allegorical tale of a small groups journey to find the "new way". It's 170 or so pages, but there is a lot of white space, short short chapters, and wide spacing, it's a breeze to read.
Given it's short read, I rather enjoyed it. The story is of a shepherd, a freed servant women, and a young boy, journeying with a secret map to find this new way. The story is simple and interesting.
It isn't a life changing story, but a refreshing read that should leave you with a renewed outlook on your own faith journey.
Given it's short read, I rather enjoyed it. The story is of a shepherd, a freed servant women, and a young boy, journeying with a secret map to find this new way. The story is simple and interesting.
It isn't a life changing story, but a refreshing read that should leave you with a renewed outlook on your own faith journey.
October 23, 2011
a fictional story woven around ST. Francis Prayer. A VERY simple story, easily read in a single sitting (a 1 hour flight somewhere would be enough time). Despite it's simplicity and lack of any real depth in the characters it has an essence of that "something" that The Alchemist has. I liked this a lot...not entirely sure why I did but I did. Perhaps it's the "coincidence" that it's theme mirrors the message I'm also currently reading in the Dalai Lama's book regarding the importance of compassion.
December 21, 2009
This was a simple, quick read that left me thinking if I live the new law. It had a good message, but not what I was expecting. I don't think it shows in the book "How It Changed the World" in it itself, but actually has, much is implied. I enjoyed at the end all the sources of some of the lines she used and her inspiration for this short story.
July 1, 2010
"miraculous power of prayer is still to be unleashed. That force will be felt when enough of us commit to become the change we wish to see in the world. Don't talk about the change. Make it happen. No one else can make the difference you can make.
November 21, 2013
exelente historia no solo es un libro es un manual para ser mejor persona mejor ser humano todos deberian leer este libro corto pero preciso cuenta lo que tiene que contar para enseñarte como ser mejor persona
March 10, 2010
Grab you right out the gate kind of book. Like, whoa! Calms down a little then a regrab. Heartwarming to say the least. Good read.
July 3, 2010
Similar to the Alchemist.
August 27, 2010
A wonderfully simple book on love and purpose.
September 8, 2010
More a collection of stories than I expected. I was graceful and calming and led you through a different world of smells and sights and expectations. I was glad I read it.
February 13, 2011
Very inspiring
January 17, 2016
This book is as good as the Alchemist but sadly it didn't generate much noise and it's not well known to many, but it deserves reading and reflecting on the wisdom it has to offer to the reader.
January 5, 2012
Alchemist in a more simple version. The story is calming.
September 23, 2013
A good fable about the way we should view the world and reminders for how we should live. Cute story and an easy read.
November 18, 2013
Every once in a while I'll pick up one of these short little fable-type books. This one was simple, sweet, and to the point. It took me about a hour to read it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews