Customer Reviews

Holding Heaven: A Novella

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A father sits up with his son late one night so the mother can get some rest and thirty years later that same son is staying with his dying father. These two men are extraordinary people because they are Joseph and Mary's son Jesus.

As a baby, Jesus had two types of crying, one when he is hungry and thirsty or needs changing and one that sounds like he is crying for mankind. It is an eerie sound but Joseph knows why Jesus is crying and accepts that he weeps for a sin-filled world. When Joseph is dying, he asks Jesus what is to become of him and he shows his earthly father what his heavenly father wants him to do. He will do it knowing that he will be betrayed. Joseph's hearts breaks when he learns this because he knows he will not be there to give his son his strength.

The love between Joseph and Jesus is so palpable that readers can feel it and the bond they share is that of an ordinary father and son even though Joseph knows Jesus is part Divine, sent by the one true God to save mankind. It is a beautiful story, one that will bring tears to the readers for Joseph's dying lament as much as for Christ's future suffering. This is very different than the Left Behind series but it is also a tour-de-force.

Harriet Klausner

Holding Heaven, written by Jerry Jenkins and illustrated by Ron Dicianni, is the story of Jesus told by His earthly father, Joseph. It is a beautifully illustrated novella that would make a great Christmas present.

We don't know much about Joseph from the Scriptures, but we do know he must have been a very special man to be given the responsibility of raising God's Son. This novella shows us the wonder, but also the love that Joseph had for Jesus. Imagine having your son born in a stable. Imagine having smelly shepherds actually find your family in that stable. Imagine a poor family being visited and gifted by wealthy men from a far country. And imagine being visited four times by an angel to direct you as to where you should live.

Jenkins primarily uses Scripture interwoven with dialogue to make the story flow. DiCianni, famous for his artwork with spiritual warfare themes, provides dramatic paintings for illustration. Both parents and children will enjoy this rendition of the Christmas story. -- Linda Demorest, Christian Book Previews.com

If you want to feel as though you are holding baby Jesus, this book is for you. This book introduces the reader to a real Mary and Joseph.

"Holding Heaven" is an absolutely stuning book AND now CD. It puts the
'REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON' back into Christmas. I have refused to
"Buy into" all the commercialism & secularism of this Christmastide this
year and plan on doing it until whenever. It's a wonderful father-son
and son-father outlook that cannot be denied. It's marvelous.

Jerry Jenkins has taken the familiar story of Jesus and His earthly father Joseph and made it come to life in this fictionalized account that is based on New Testament scripture. One begins to understand what Jesus' early years might have been like and how the Son of God was also the Son of man and how important the guidance of the good and humble Joseph was in enabling Jesus to become the Man He became. It is a touching and revealing portrait of the depth of the relationship they might have shared. This is a short story but powerful none the less.

My 5-star rating for the item in question is actually for the seller, Hippo Books. The cover of the used book I ordered from them was badly torn and not usable as the gift I intended it to be. I contacted them via Amazon.com and they responded immediately. They didn't have a replacement book for me but they refunded my money the next day - and told me to keep the book. There was absolutely no hassle at all. [Previous orders from Hippo books have always been as described and I've been pleased each time.]

I knew about this book before ordering and was delighted to find it at a reasonable price. Very satisfied with shipping, timing, and condition. Thank you.

The redeeming quality--and the lasting value--of this work may be in the thoughts, feelings and emotions it generates in fathers, especially young fathers. There, it could have an on-going value and benefit far beyond its pages.

As a work of art, the book is lacking. Great idea, great concept, but the product itself misses the mark. Conversations between Joseph and Jesus are shallow and stretched at times, seldom realistic and believable, and discriptions such as the Baby Jesus always looking to the stars are overwritten, almost trite. The idea is here, the framework and structure are here,
and the words are here, but there's not enough depth or feeling. To achieve its full power and impact--and there is much potential here--conversations and discriptions need to be developed more fully and in more detail, "fleshed" out with more humanity and more emotion, more development.

If the concept of this book generates more thought and growth in fathers, it has hope and value. If not, it will fade away quickly,and that would be unfortunate. It is a good concept, a great concept, just insufficiently accomplished here. It misses the mark that is unfortunate.