Anne Rice, the one-time atheist who wrote Interview With The Vampire followed by a slew of popular gothic novels has now returned to the Christian faith she abandoned and has devoted her life to writing about Jesus. Just a disclaimer - although this is a Christian writing, it is fiction and should not be considered theological doctrine. Actually Rice's book is very unique because it is fictitious, and that it focuses on the early days of Jesus life that are largely undocumented. So believer and nonbeliever alike must open their minds.

The best thing about Christ the Lord is that Rice not only goes to much trouble to authenticate the setting with exhaustive research, but manages to achieve the near impossible - to humanize Jesus within history, including His inner thoughts, troubles and relations. This is what makes the novel so valuable to the reader. Even if the story of the gospel seems old hat to you, Rice breathes a realistic human touch that needs to be heard.

Don't be scared of this book just because of Anne Rice's previous work. She is reborn and treats Jesus reverently, not blasphemous. If you liked her previous work, don't automatically dismiss Christ the Lord. The result is a great book that will probably be classic in years to come. Five stars.