Tommy Zurhellen

I suspected an allegorical tale, but instead got the actual tale of Jesus, as if he had been born in the 1980's. Sure, his name is Sam, but in reality, his could be the Messiah. So why did I like this book so much, given the obviousness of the plot: The writing is beautiful, and the story of Jesus is only the scaffolding that holds this tale up (granted, the scaffolding is showing, and that bothered me a bit). These are fully realized characters who just happen to be based on(or incarnations of) Biblical characters from the Gospels. Given the elephant is an eastern symbol, I suspect there's some play here on rebirth. I guess I'll have to wait for the sequel to find out.

… (plus d'informations)

I think it takes a lot of skill to rewrite a famous story well, retaining enough elements to keep the story familiar while burying recognizable threads to such a degree that the end product feels fresh and creative. Tommy Zurhellen has that skill. I have a feeling Nazareth, North Dakota reads differently depending on your knowledge of the stories from which it draws. My general familiarity certainly led to some moments of recognition, but my lack of specific knowledge led, I’m sure, to my missing that added layer at times. But what’s so cool about Nazareth, North Dakota is that it holds up as a good story even without that extra layer. While it’s based on the story of the Messiah, it’s by no means dependent on it.

If you enjoy clever adaptations, stories told from multiple angles, or anything just a little bit crazy, I think you’ll like Nazareth, North Dakota!

My full review is posted on my blog, Erin Reads.… (plus d'informations)