Beyond the Sacred Page (The Book of Books Series #2) (Paperback)

by Jack Cavanaugh (Author) "She's laying over!..." (more)
Key Phrases: stocky baker, soul magnifieth, procurer general, New Testament, Pernell Foxe, Bishop Stokesley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The award-winning author of more than a dozen historical novels excels in this latest inspirational offering depicting the bloodshed and violence in 16th-century England over attempts to translate and distribute scripture in the English language to ordinary men and women. A dedicated Christian "heretic hunter," Pernell Foxe has a near brush with death in his zeal to eradicate the spread of William Tyndale's English New Testament. His attractive wife, Meg, befriends the doomed queen, Anne Boleyn, unhappily married to King Henry VIII. Meg finds herself drawn into subterfuge and marital deception when she comes across a forbidden copy of the English New Testament and discovers the power of its verses. Cavanaugh brings his historical story to life with rich details, descriptive settings and believable dialogue. His writing includes fresh and sometimes humorous turns of phrase ("To call the man a weasel would be discourteous to egg-sucking carnivores everywhere"). The lucid prose is coupled with an intricate plot offering surprising twists and turns. Characters are multifaceted, and the author admirably shows how sincere believers can be sincerely mistaken-which should give readers much to chew on. The faith content of the novel is beautifully presented and never succumbs to preachiness. General readers interested in the plight of "banned books," as well as CBA market readers investigating the origins of the Bible, will find through this delightful book that faith-based historical fiction can be a pleasure to read.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
This stand-alone novel in the four-part Book of Books series presents the people and the events that brought the Bible into the English language. These historical novels are told in high drama, but with great respect for God’s Word and for the courageous people who translated it.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310215757
• ISBN-13: 978-0310215752
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #564,460 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as Good as the First...., October 12, 2003

By	Bobbi Graffunder "bobbileeg" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a HUGE fan of Jack Cavanaugh's work, but I must admit that I was disappointed in this one. The story was good. The message was good. The history was good. But something just seemed to be missing. I was very turned off by the whole "psycho" aspect of the book. It didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the storyline. I think the book would've been much better without it. The first in this series was so phenomenal that maybe my expectations were too high. It seemed to almost be a copycat of a part of his novel "The Puritans." While it still is a good read, it just didn't seem up to the calibar of his other works. Sorry, Mr. Cavanaugh! I am still a loyal fan!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Read, January 28, 2004

By A Customer

The history and the story line was entertaining and interesting. The writing was excellent and definately a step above most of the Christian fiction I've been reading lately. However, there did seem to be something lacking. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the "psycho" aspect didn't fit in well with the rest of the story line. It could have been a nice compliment, however it was introduced too late in the story that it seemed out of place and extreme.

However, I'll admit that I couldn't put the book down, especially for the last half. And, I was even moved to tears at one point.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Historical Fiction EVER, November 2, 2007

By	B. Fleming (Schaumburg, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jack Cavenaugh became my favorite author after reading this series. He gets better with every book. I especially like it when, at the end of most books, separates fact from fiction. It is a great experience all around and I learn a great amount about history from him.

It's hard to put his books down. I recommend them to anyone who loves mystery, history and intrigue. I'm in the midst of his Family Portraits series and he just gets better and better as I learn more an more, while being entertained, and drawn in by spell binding, fast paced action and surprise twists and endings.