Testament

A fictional biography of the earthly life of Jesus told from the perspectives of four fascinating figures, by the author of Where She Has Gone.

In powerful accounts colored by their own beliefs and devices, the following men and women tell the captivating story:

Yihuda of Qiryat (Judas Iscariot), a freedom fighter working for Rome’s overthrow who is drawn to the charismatic teacher; Miryam of Migdal (Mary Magdeline), a disciple who finds in Jesus’ presence the intellectual stimulation that society has denied her. Miryam (Mary), the mother of Jeus, who has a complex relationship with her precocious son, and Simon of Gergesa, a plainspoken shepherd who travels to Jerusalem and witnesses the last days of the Jewish preacher.

With exquisite detail, Nino Ricci offers a provocative portrait of the historical Jesus, an ordinary man living in a time of political turmoil and spiritual uncertainty.

Praise for Testament

“A hypnotic, deeply lyrical presentation of four gospels . . . . A writer of impeccable craft . . . recreating, in his incantatory prose, the very aroma and the wild, sorcery-filled world through which Jesus walked.” —Pico Iyer, Los Angeles Times Book Review

“A fantastic storyteller . . . an unsettling book . . . The four narrators Ricci creates are exceptionally well drawn and brilliantly infused with the details of their time.” —Ron Charles, Christian Science Monitor

“The portrait of a difficult, alienated, but compassionate and charismatic intellectual and religious rebel . . . The character that emerges is complex, compelling, and achingly heroic.” —Christine Wald-Hopkins, Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News