Pete Xander

While the events contained in our knowledge of the lives of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are well known, there is a vast gap in our knowledge of the lives of Joseph and Mary -- how they would have reacted to the events in their lives; what kind of people they were. "Song of Bethlehem" is a wonderful account of the lives of the innkeeper and his wife, in whose manger Jesus was born. Teresa Prins Wood, who was a childhood friend of mine and a fellow student in the same 6th grade class (full disclosure), creates a terrific description of the life and times of those people whose lives were changed by the events that unfolded to and were experienced by them. Her writing does not merely craft a compelling tale; it describes a life and a time foreign to us nearly 2,000 years later and is done beautifully and exceptionally well. Will there be a sequel, involving events of which we all are familiar? I've lobbied for it and sincerely hope it happens.