Certain Poor Shepherds: A Christmas Tale [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 1996

When an unusual star appears on the horizon one clear winter night, among those drawn to its bright promise are two unusual shepherds - a dog named Lila, and Ima, a goat. Therein lies an adventure, and Thomas's departure from the familiar story treasured by generations. With their flock, the animals journey to Bethlehem following the bright star shining on the horizon, witnesses to a redemption of which they have no need. Yet as they make their way, encountering danger and opportunity, their journey becomes an extraordinary meditation, moving but unsentimental, on the nature of freedom and the state of natural grace in a world ruled by the power - and frailty - of humankind.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Marshall applies her knowledge of the animal world (The Secret Life of Dogs) and her fictional skills (Reindeer Moon) to a rich reimagining of the Nativity story. Her pilgrims are a wise goat named Ima and a huge warrior sheepdog , Lila. They are on the mountain guarding a herd of sheep when the star appears, and they immediately sense divinity in the air. Later, they see a flock of angels invisible to their master. Struck by inspiration, they follow the star to Bethlehem, where Lila witnesses the scene at the manger. Many other animals appear in the narrative?camels, a cheetah, other dogs, a gazelle?giving Marshall an opportunity to represent natural creatures interacting and cherishing their freedom, which to animals is a form of grace. After Ima and Lila experience several dangerous adventures, an uplifting ending, in which they are rewarded by an angel whom Ima had saved from an eagle, probably will elicit some happy tears. The deliberately simple but well-honed prose makes this story suitable for family reading, and Marshall's attribution of human thoughts and emotions to her animal characters should delight sentimentalists. But the epilogue, in which Marshall muses that "perhaps our hope of redemption lies in the fact that we are animals, not that we are people," will not make this book a favorite of fundamentalist Christians. Simultaneous audio.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

"On the first Christmas, so say the Christians, a redeemer was born to save our kind from the consequences of our greed, waste, pride, cruelty, and arrogance. No redeemer appeared for the animals; however, none was needed." So begins Thomas's thoughtful, deeply affecting retelling of the Christmas story from the animals' point of view?an approach that seems so natural, so delightful, one wonders why it hasn't been done before. Here, the "certain poor shepherds" are a dog and a goat who follow a bright, burning star to Bethlehem, encountering angels and human folly along the way. The animals behave with the utmost probity?Ima the goat helps cure an angel who has fallen sick from eating poisoned berries, for instance, and Lila the dog rescues Ima from the butcher's knife. They return home transfigured?not from their meeting with the baby Jesus, who seems frail and desperately in need of protection, but from within. Every once in a while, a cliched phrase will drop with a clunk, but this is ultimately a touching, simple, and challenging parable about our relation to the natural world from the author of the best-selling The Hidden Life of Dogs. Highly recommended.
-?Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st edition (November 11, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684833131
• ISBN-13: 978-0684833132
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,929,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Unique and Poignant Christmas Tale, November 17, 2001

By 

Terrie (Little Chute, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Certain Poor Shepherds (Paperback)

This book is a little treasure and one of my favorites. It's the story of the night of Christ's birth as perceived by the animals. It is told with great sensitivity by reknowned animal lover Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and as such it is filled with eye-opening empathy and poignant beauty. It has an interesting take on angels as seen by animals, showing them to be very non-human and free of human stereotypes. Perhaps our perceptions of ourselves do color our perceptions of angels as well. It taught me a lot about the way animals might perceive the strange, crude doings of humans and helped me view my relationships with animals with more thoughtfulness. In that sense alone, it is a worthy addition to any library and especially to a holiday collection. I love this book very much. The hard cover is out of print but is pleasingly compact and makes a wonderful heirloom that is worth searching for. This paperback edition is nicely affordable and will make a perfect gift for anyone who loves and lives with animals.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Story, December 5, 2001

By 

"bdowney6" (Centreville, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Certain Poor Shepherds (Paperback)

"Certain Poor Shepherds" was given to me as a Christmas gift by a friend several years ago. I treasure this boook and have gone back and read it several times over. I have also purchased it several times over as a Christmas gift to friends. It is a moving tale from the animals' point of view and although I consider this a story for adults and teens, it definitely requires a reader who has a love for animals and for fiction that taps into one's imagination.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Certain Poor Shepards: A Christmas Tale, December 7, 2000

By 

Andrea - See all my reviews

This review is from: Certain Poor Shepherds (Paperback)

This is one of the most wonderful stories I have ever read. I read it every year. It brings back the true meaning of Christmas.

It is sad, but very beautiful. My husband gave it to me on Christmas Eve when it was first published, which also makes the book very special. I have a dog named Sabrina, which reminds me of Lila.