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A Little Lower Than the Angels

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"For you have made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor."-Psalm 8 of the Holy Scriptures

A Little Lower Than the Angels is a spiritual novel inspired by an ancient Jewish legend that relates how God, throughout all of history, has placed among us thirty-six righteous people... three dozen human beings, each of whom "knows the divine will." Should humanity ever seek to know the will of God, there are always thirty-six among us to help us learn.

Suzanne Rosewell is a Wall Street lawyer, the youngest female partner in the history of her prestigious firm. She's a strong, driven woman with the will to succeed and a head start on her chosen path. She knows what she wants and is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve her goals... until she meets Elias Garner, the enigmatic black Jazz musician, who carries an ancient golden trumpet and represents the even more furtive "Chairman" (whom we learn is "the head of the most powerful corporation on earth").

Elias wants Suzanne to set aside her career and take on the task of finding "five missing righteous people." Through a series of mystical happenings and strange coincidences, all of which seem to involve Elias, Suzanne decides to accept the quest, starting an odd journey that takes her from New York City, to the Black Hills of South Dakota, to a holy Native American shrine, and back to New York again.

Suzanne is not without opposition. Elizabeth Luckholt, a woman described by Elias as his "opposite" in the great unnamed corporation, is determined to stop Suzanne. Elizabeth sits at the left hand of the Chairman and has a vested interest in seeing Suzanne's search fail. And Elizabeth has the power to muster considerable resources in pursuit of this goal. All of this is set against a deadline for success set by the Chairman himself. Without 36 names on the list, it appears that the world itself cannot exist beyond the sunrise.

Suzanne Rosewell's professional life as a Wall Street lawyer isthriving, until Elias Garner crosses her path. He wants her to put hercareer on hold and find five missing righteous people--missing fromthe total of thirty-six people, an ancient Jewish legend tells, thatGod has placed on earth, people that know "the divine will"should humanity ever seek this knowledge. After strange, mysticalsituations plague her day and night, Suzanne reluctantly takes on thequest. She travels to the Black Hills in South Dakota, a NativeAmerican holy place in Minnesota, and the streets of New York to find"the righteous ones." But determined to stop Suzanne isElizabeth Luckholt and her potent resources. Elias warns Suzanne thatthis woman is his "opposite" in the most powerfulcorporation on earth headed by the "Chairman." The clockbegins ticking off each day, propelling us to the end of the worldbecause, without all thirty-six names on the "Chairman's"list, the world will not exist after dawn of his specified date. Thisis an inspirational, paranormal mystery with a suspenseful edge. Thewriter both mesmerized and lured me into this sleekly presentedstory. The mechanics of the written word were deftly hidden and Ifound myself wondering, is this really fiction? When I thought I'dbeen pulled into the story as far as was humanly possible, the writerupped the stakes with a ticking clock and I fell deeper into the storylosing all time and place. It all added to the torment my soulsuffered as I secretly prayed that Suzanne would find "therighteous ones" in time to save the world. A LITTLE LOWER THANTHE ANGELS is an extraordinary read by a fabulously talented author.I would HIGHLY recommend this book

I absolutely loved A Little Lower Than The Angels. Marty Gallanter has an incredible ability to bring his book to life with such detailed descriptions. I found it difficult to put down the story. I found myself cheering on Suzanne and her quest. Marty's book taught me about a legend I had never heard of before and it inspired me to want to live in a better way and see more of the good side of human nature. He took this story of a Jewish legend and told it in such a way that anyone, Jewish, Catholic or Protestant could read and appreciate. I loved the way I could relate to the South Dakota scenery. It is right on the mark and will give someone who has never been here a peak at our part of the country and all of its beauty. I would recommend this book to all.

I found "A Little Lower Than the Angels" to be a real page-turner! Gallanter is an able storyteller; his heroine's quest to find five righteous people and prevent the destruction of the world is one that will engage the imagination of every reader. This is definitely not just for the religious folks out there -- I generally avoid novels dealing with religious issues, yet I enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly. Can't wait for the movie!

I am usually wary of "spiritual" books, but this one intrigued me from the first chapter and held my interest all the way to the end. It was both entertaining a provocative at the same time. Sometimes I read a chapter twice, reading something different into it each time. Part of the ending was predicable, but that didn't bother me at all. By the time I had figured out the twist, my devotion to the concept was complete.

As the author, I don't want people to think I reviewed my own book. The review printed above was by Bev Haynes, Managing Editor, Starlight Writer Publications and was written for Running River Reader in February, 2000.

this is an absorbing morality play that i think everyone should be required to read.

I found the reviews here very on-point. I stumbled upon this title because its publisher puts out a book I really enjoyed - Frosted Glass - and highly recommend. This book is very different from Frosted Glass, but the story is just as compelling. It is the first book longer than 200 pages that I have read in one sitting. I just reviewed that other book, and felt it important to do so for this one too. I highly recommend A Little Lower than the Angels.

Not the usual reader of spiritual novels, I found this book to be very refreshing. Going beyond the good vs. evil tale Gallanter's novel weaves self-awareness, self-success, and how we as individuals fit into a larger society. I was able to identify with the characters and enjoy the book on several levels: literary, spiritual, and simply as an enjoyable read. Anyone who believes that we fit into a bigger picture - regardless of which particular religion - will find value in this book.

Gallanter leads the reader on a great journey that conjured up Stephen King-like characters. A throughline of jazz - both literally and figuratively also recurred throughout the book.

Enjoy!