Visit Rachelle’s Book Review Page to see all reviews HERE. As the day of the miraculous birth drew closer, all those who were to take part in the greatest story ever told were given the choice whether to sink beneath their fear or to seek salvation. Norah Lofts 1965 classic novel weaves together all the characters of the Nativity, from the gentle strength of Mary and the kindness and loyalty of Joseph through the tempestuous journey of the three wise men and the tragedy of the shepherds to the misery of the innkeeper and his wife. I loved how Lofts made them come to life and I think I’d like to read the full version of her book next year.

It was an excellent account of how the wise men found the Christ child. It’s a good little advent read.I was lent a copy of this book, How Far to Bethlehem? in a Reader’s Digest Condensed Book format. How Far to Bethlehem reminded me a little of that book. When my kids were kids, I used to read Jostein Gaarder’s The Christmas Mysteryto them every advent, one part a day until Christmas. But the really interesting parts for me were the stories of Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar and the way their lives come together on the quest to follow the star and find the child. Anne, Mary’s mother, also comes alive for Lofts, worried about Mary and convinced her son in law is a fool for taking her on a donkey to Bethlehem. The way Mary and Joseph each receive the news of their holy son’s impending birth is beautifully written, as is the miracle of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and Mary’s visit to her cousin.

The shepherd, a grieving father whose son fell in with Jewish rebels and ended up crucified.

The innkeeper she imagines to be a former sailor. She imagines the wise men as an astronomer from Korea (Melchior), a Mongolian military leader (Gaspar) and a learned eunuch slave from Africa (Balthazar). Lofts imagines a backstory for the lesser known characters and fills out the lives of those you may be more familiar with. It’s the story of all the people converging on the nativity - Mary, Joseph, the three wise men, one of the shepherds, even the innkeeper. I have since learned that Lofts was known for the detail in her historical novels and that was one thing I enjoyed about How Far to Bethlehem. Last week, after finishing a book for Kirkus and turning in my final paper before the winter break, I decided it would make a good Advent read. Norah Lofts was not an author I knew of when I picked up How Far to Bethlehem at the Five Colleges Book Sale last spring.

How Far to Bethlehem? by Norah Lofts