Novelist Marian Rizzo Unveils New Biblical-Era Novel, “The Shepherd’s Walk: From the Manger to the Cross and Beyond”
Novelist Marian Rizzo and WordCrafts Press are thrilled to announce her latest novel, The Shepherd’s Walk: From the Manger to the Cross and Beyond, which released to retail this week in hardback, trade paperback, audiobook, and all major ebook formats. Set amidst the tumultuous Judean region of the Roman Empire during the reign of Ceasar Augustus and Herod the Great, Marian’s tale follows the life journey of a young Jewish shepherd named Jesse who just happens to be with a group of shepherds keeping watch over their flocks one night, when a heavenly visitor appeared with the news that a savior had been born.
A savior… born? A helpless baby lying in a manger… was this their long awaited Messiah?
It simply did not align with their concept of of a military leader who would drive out the Romans and restore the kingdom to Israel.
I was 15 years old the night the angels came.
“Though my shepherd is a fictitious character, I found it easy to instill in him some of my own struggles and experiences from my walk with God,” muses Amazon.com bestselling novelist Marian Rizzo. “Like many people, I suppose, I relate to Jesse’s desire to right the wrongs he did, only to discover there is but one perfect sacrifice, one offering that can satisfy the Father. As a result, The Shepherd’s Walk is one we might all take at different times of life. And, like the shepherd, we can experience a wonderful epiphany when we, at last, stand at the foot of the cross and set our eyes on Jesus.”
Notjust another retelling of the Nativity Story, The Shepherd’s Walk truly is a journey from the manger to the cross and beyond. Like the Christ child, who did not remain a baby, but grew into a man, the 15-year-old shepherd boy, Jesse, also lives a full life, experiencing the vast range of personal victories and spectacular failures that are common to man; from wooing and winning the love of his life, to betraying his own conscience time and time again. Feeling the weight of his guilt, Jesse discovers the sacrifice of unblemished lambs does little to absolve him. He ponders whether his soul can ever be cleansed
From the Book
I stepped cautiously inside and drew closer to the trough, stunned to find a babe inside, exactly as the angel had foretold. The child was bound with strips of cloth, again like the angel had described.
The shepherds swarmed around the manger. My father drew close, sank to his knees, and bowed his head. His display of obeisance sent a shudder through me.
“Woe is me!” he said, his voice breaking. “I am undone, a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
The words were familiar. My father had drawn them from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, one of his favorites. I shook my head in wonder. Nearly everything that came out of that man’s mouth had been written by a prophet long ago. Yet he knew what to recite at the appropriate time.
I dared to move closer, my eyes on the child. The babe stared back at me, and I gazed trembling into those knowing eyes. Eyes that unveiled my very soul—the good and the bad—exposed before the Holy One who lay there. My heart in my throat, I couldn’t speak, could only stare in wonder. I dropped to my knees and bowed my head, humbled beyond belief. And I knew my life would never be the same.
Thirty years had passed since we made the trip to the stable in Bethlehem—30 years since we witnessed the miracle. I wanted more than anything to believe the Messiah had come to earth. But where had he been over the past 30 years? There had been no more visits by angels; no more appearances of one we called the Messiah. Where did he go? Back to heaven? Was he still living in Bethlehem? Or somewhere else? Why hadn’t he done something to confirm his coming to Earth.
About the Author
A Pulitzer Prize nominee in the field of journalism and an award-winning novelist, Marian Rizzo earned a bachelor’s degree in Bible education, trained for jungle missions with New Tribes (now Ethnos 360) and served at a Youth With A Mission training center in Southern Spain. She also was a field and telephone counselor for the Billy Graham Organization.
A personal tour of the Holy Land provided much of the backdrop for Marian’s biblical era novels, along with virtual tours, study books, and online research.
Marian lives in Ocala, Florida, with two daughters, three grandchildren, and a dog named Buddy.
Recent Comments