The Twin is the fictional retelling of the story of Jesus of Nazareth from the point of view of Thomas Didymus, known to most as Doubting Thomas. The narrative draws upon the belief held by many that Jesus traveled to Kashmir during the "missing" years of his youth, studied Buddhism, and then returned to Galilee to begin his ministry.Styled as a document translated by a professor of classics from the University of Cincinnati-who is obviously inept and an egotist-The Twin includes his notes and footnotes throughout.The novel explores the characters, stories, and miracles from the Bible, and from other texts such as the Gnostic gospels, but also attempts to fill in some of the gaps... of which there are many.How many "wise men" visited Jesus? How did he turn water into wine? How was Lazarus raised from the dead? Why does Jesus sound more like a Buddhist than a 1st century Jew when he begins his ministry? What were the roles of each of the apostles, including the woman known to us as Mary Magdelene? What ultimately happened to all of these characters?The Twin is provocative and entertaining, humanizing all involved with insecurities, joy, romantic jealousy, and eventually, peace.
P>Review "The Twin is a compelling and provocative narrative that will likely lead readers to a new understanding and appreciation of the overlap of spiritual and religious traditions."-Kathleen Williams Renk, author of Vindicated: A Novel of Mary Shelley"The Twin is...a brilliant saga of the events, teachings, miracles, and personal life of Jesus, known as Yeshua. Complete with footnotes and translator notes, B.L. Treah, PhD, Professor of Classics, presents this easily readable fictional account in such an honest and straightforward way that one forgets it is not a true rendition of Jesus of Nazareth. Or maybe it is. History is merely an interpretation of events from the past, often tainted by perspective, and The Twin provides a new viewpoint that is highly entertaining and boldly unique. This is a novel that will wake you in the middle of the night tickling your senses as you grapple with the origins, life, and times of Jesus."-Matthew Langdon Cost, author of Love in a Time of Hate"St. Jarres knowledge of myth and religion is on full display in The Twin... St. Jarre invites us to ask questions, to look beneath story, and to not miss the point for concern of the details."-Sharon Dean, author of The Barn and The Wicked Bible"The Twins compelling story offers many intriguing possibilities. St. Jarre evokes an interconnected first century world filled with intercultural dialogue. Thomas engaging narrative and the interjections of his pompous translator evoke many alluring questions."-Jason Ct, educator"This is one of the most unique books I have ever read. I was most impressed with the concept... I applaud the author for his insight and imagination. While The Twin is labeled as fiction, it is convincing and thought-provoking nonetheless."-Lucinda E Clarke for Readers Favorite About the Author: Kevin St. Jarre is the author of The Twin, Celestine, and Aliens, Drywall, and a Unicycle, all published by Encircle Publications. He previously penned three original thriller novels for Berkley Books, the Night Stalkers series, under a pseudonym. Hes a published poet, his pedagogical essays have run in English Journal and thrice in Phi Delta Kappan, and his short fiction has appeared in journals such as Story. Kevin has worked as a teacher and professor, a newspaper reporter, an international corporate consultant, and he led a combat intelligence team in the first Gulf War. Kevin is a polyglot, and he earned an MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Popular Fiction from University of Southern Maines Stonecoast program. Twice awarded scholarships, he studied at the Norman Mailer Writers Center on Cape Cod, MA, with Sigrid Nunez and David Black, and wrote in southern France at La Muse Artists & Writers Retreat. He is a member of MWPA and the International Thriller Writers. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Kevin grew up in Maines northernmost town, Madawaska. He now lives on the Maine coast, and is always working on the next novel. Follow Kevin at facebook/kstjarre and on Twitter @kstjarre.- We ship across Australia, including major cities like: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Newcastle and the Gold Coast