The Liars' Gospel

Starred review from March 11, 2013
In her third novel, English author Aldermanâwhose debut Disobedience won the 2006 Orange Prize for New Writersâimagines an alternative history of Jesus from the perspective of those close to him who knew him as Yehoshuah, the wandering Jewish preacher. Yehoshuah's mother recalls an inquisitive boy who became "a traitor, a rabble-leader, a rebel, a liar and a pretender to the throne," and his disciple Iehuda, initially impressed by Yehoshuah's teachings and miraculous ability to heal the sick, ultimately loses faith and betrays him. In Jerusalem, the High Priest Caiaphas struggles to maintain peace between the Romans and the Jews while the Jewish rebel Bar-Avo incites war against the Roman conquerors. Alderman vibrant descriptions of life in Judea, from the animal sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem to the bloody battles against Roman rule, richly illustrate a time of tyranny and suffering, as well as a people in desperate need of faith. Through haunting prose Alderman immerses the reader into the lives of these characters, and by endowing legendary personae with human vulnerabilities and passions, she transforms an ancient story into her own engaging meditation on power, oppression, and belief. Agent: Veronique Baxter, David Higham Associates (UK)

February 15, 2013
Four narratives set during the time of the ministry, trial and death of Jesus, all involving characters central to the origin of Christianity. The book opens with the sacrifice of a lamb at the temple and ends with Bar-Avo (Barabbas) cutting the throat of Ananus, the High Priest of the Temple, and "bleed[ing] him like a lamb," so there's an obvious symmetry in the narrative arc Alderman sets up. In between these two sacrifices, we learn how the major characters she focuses on relate to the story of Yehoshuah of Nazaret (later Romanized to Jesus of Nazareth, though throughout her re-telling, Alderman uses Hebrew names). The first story is that of Miryam (Mary), mother of a man whose mission she doesn't understand, and she remains bitter about the loss of her son. Her husband, Yosef, is even more uncomprehending and angry, definitively breaking with his son about a ministry that seems to him idiosyncratic and misguided. The next novella-length narrative introduces us to Iehuda from Qeriot (Judas Iscariot), who, from a later perspective, recounts the "strange tale" of his attachment to Yehoshuah, to the amusement of Calidorus, a Roman merchant, and his guests at a feast. Following Iehuda's version of events comes that of Caiaphas, a High Priest of the Temple, who tries to resist the pressure of Roman politicians but who ends up turning Yehoshuah over to Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judea. The last narrative is that of Bar-Avo, a Jewish revolutionary and assassin who's caught just before Passover. The rebel band he's been leading forms a large part of the crowd when Pilate engages in the "Roman sport" of letting the crowd decide who will be released. Alderman re-creates with startling immediacy the culture of first-century Judea, with its political intrigue and riots and with its characters wondering at what the life of Yehoshuah has meant to them.

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February 15, 2013
Storytelling is the lying art; a tale can't be separated from its teller's motives. This premise underlies Alderman's daring new novel, whichrather than repeating the laudatory accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Johnfollows four individuals who interacted with Jesus (here called Yehoshuah) just before the Crucifixion. His mother, Miryam, mourns him and his abandonment of his birth family; Iehuda can't accept his charismatic friend's intolerance for dissent and growing sense of entitlement and feels obligated to betray him. For Caiaphas, high priest of Jerusalem's temple, subduing one rabble-rousing preacher is of lesser importance than appeasing Pontius Pilate and questioning his wife's fidelity, while Bar-Avo (Barabbas) incites violence against his people's oppressors. Fabrications about Yehoshuah are spoken by many, whether to entertain, mislead, or provide comfort to others. Alderman presents an unabashedly Jewish perspective, and she re-creates first-century Judea, a land subjugated by tyrannical Rome, in intense, brutal detail. Religion and politics deeply intertwine in this profound work, which expresses blunt truths about leadership while exploring the healthy nature of debate about one's faith. Ed: the queue date for this title is FE2, so double-check to ensure it goes in MR1 (if correct).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)