Book Review: Ben-Hur – The Tale of the Christ by Carol Wallace

This book has been on my TBR for too long. The week before Easter Sunday last year, I had a desire to read something related to the story of Jesus and this book came to mind. I’m glad I read it.

Ben-Hur: The Tale of the Christ, is a re-telling of this same story, which was originally written by the author’s great, great, grandfather, Lew Wallace. It follows a fictional character named Ben-Hur, a Jewish young man who was falsely accused and betrayed by his best friend and was sent to prison for many years. In the course of his life, he was favored and later adopted by a rich Roman Commander who died leaving Ben-Hur all his wealth. However, Ben-Hur has a mission to go back home and find his mother and sister who were also arrested on the same day he was taken away. His search for his family leads him on a path of self-discovery and most importantly faith in the one who is the messiah.

I found this story very captivating and unbelievable that it is completely fictional. Reading it felt so real especially as it carries a lot of authentic representation of both Jewish and Roman cultures at the time. I loved the way the story brought in the story of the Christ in a subtle yet powerful way. This book leaves me with many thoughts and memorable characters that I will remember for quite a while.

I highly recommend.

Rating: 5 Stars

Published: July 19, 2016 by Tyndale House Publishers

Pages: 432

Genre: Biblical/Historical Fiction

The Author:

Carol Wallace, the great-great-granddaughter of Lew Wallace, is the author most recently of a new version of “Ben-Hur.” It is the official tie-in of the new major film, releasing in August of 2016.

Carol is also the co-author of “To Marry an English Lord,” which was one of the inspirations for “Downton Abbey,” and author of the historical novel
“Leaving Van Gogh.” Previous titles have included humor, parenting, and social history. In 2006 Wallace received a M.A. in art history from Columbia University. The research for her M.A. thesis provided the foundation for “Leaving van Gogh.” A 1977 graduate of Princeton University, Wallace lives in New York.

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