Review of No Dark Clouds
Posted: 01 Jan 2022, 14:51
[Following is a volunteer review of "No Dark Clouds" by R W Nelson.]
The author of No Dark Clouds, R.W. Nelson, recounts the story of Jesus during his ministry, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and after the ascension. The fictional history took place in a Biblical Jerusalem and was inspired by his observation of beggar children in India. Nelson came across beggar children who reminded him of those he encountered back in India. All kids (Aditya, Scooter, Figs, Baa-Foo, Rebekah, and deformed baby) had some form of disability and worked as slaves for their boss, Taskmaster, except for one. The scar-faced Beggar Boy managed to escape from his former cruel master and vowed never to trust and submit under anyone. Despite their daily struggles to make coins on the streets for the Taskmaster, they were all gifted and talented in their own way.
While at the market fending for himself, Beggar Boy witnessed the fight between the zealots and the Roman soldiers. Acting swiftly, he used one of his street-smart skills to save the life of the centurion, Leonidas. The Roman soldier rewarded him with a job and a place to stay. And the opportunity was presented to befriend a beautiful Ethiopian lady, Mishea, the tutor for the Roman kids. She was the kind-hearted lady who became like a mother to the boy. It was around this time that Jesus' ministry started to pick momentum. As He gained more followers, He became a threat to the Roman Empire. Jesus healed several people, including two of the beggars. When he discovered this, Beggar Boy started to pursue The Healer Man, as he was known, in hope that He would heal the scars that have caused him to be mocked. Will he meet Jesus and receive his miracle healing?
Nelson gave a unique interpretation of the life of Jesus, making the story simple, relatable, and interesting. Re-learning the story through the eyes of the Beggar Boy got me excited and super curious. It felt new and touching, just like the first time when I was introduced to it. The author's inclusion of the characters with disabilities was commendable and helped set the book apart. The readers are reminded that beggars are human. They possibly face the same struggle and if given half the opportunity their talents stand a chance of thriving. The description of the characters was so detailed and portrayed a vivid picture of their uniqueness. No Dark Clouds is definitely a book fitting for Christians, however, non-believers of the Christian faith will profit from reading the story. It is flooded with profound themes, such as, "you can only change the present and the future." People who have wondered who this Jesus is, but were reluctant to learn from the bible, should look no further because this book will quench their curiosity. Moreover, the study guides at the end of the book will provide a deeper understanding.
One of my favorite lessons is found on page 84, " it is best to judge someone from within, not by how they appear on the outside." And the lesson matches one of the many themes found at the beginning of the book, "Judge someone from within." This was perceivable when the Beggar Boy was first introduced to Mishea, who clearly didn't care about how he looked on the outside, but treated him like any other kid. Something that came as a surprise to the boy, since he was used to people making fun of him. The true essence of who we are is our soul and spirit and not our physical appearance. Everybody is perfect and complete at their core, in my opinion. Another lesson of forgiveness was emphasized when Beggar Boy had to learn to forgive those who have hurt him in the past, as well as Leonidas. I have come to learn that harboring unforgiveness is one of the powerful spiritual energies that will derail you from moving forward. Though it's not easy, it is better to find a way and courage to do it and free yourself.
The benefit of reading the story is education, enlightenment, and inspiration. If I were to give my humble advice to the author, it would be to include a table of contents. This might be useful, should the reader want to go back to specific sections in the book for a deeper understanding, but without the table of contents that might be a challenge. There were a couple of errors that didn't have an impact on my reading. The applause goes to the editor, who executed a sterling job. This is a well-written and professionally edited novel. I was satisfied by the dénouement, therefore I fully rate the book 4 out of 4. It was so compelling I couldn't put it down.
******
No Dark Clouds
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The author of No Dark Clouds, R.W. Nelson, recounts the story of Jesus during his ministry, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and after the ascension. The fictional history took place in a Biblical Jerusalem and was inspired by his observation of beggar children in India. Nelson came across beggar children who reminded him of those he encountered back in India. All kids (Aditya, Scooter, Figs, Baa-Foo, Rebekah, and deformed baby) had some form of disability and worked as slaves for their boss, Taskmaster, except for one. The scar-faced Beggar Boy managed to escape from his former cruel master and vowed never to trust and submit under anyone. Despite their daily struggles to make coins on the streets for the Taskmaster, they were all gifted and talented in their own way.
While at the market fending for himself, Beggar Boy witnessed the fight between the zealots and the Roman soldiers. Acting swiftly, he used one of his street-smart skills to save the life of the centurion, Leonidas. The Roman soldier rewarded him with a job and a place to stay. And the opportunity was presented to befriend a beautiful Ethiopian lady, Mishea, the tutor for the Roman kids. She was the kind-hearted lady who became like a mother to the boy. It was around this time that Jesus' ministry started to pick momentum. As He gained more followers, He became a threat to the Roman Empire. Jesus healed several people, including two of the beggars. When he discovered this, Beggar Boy started to pursue The Healer Man, as he was known, in hope that He would heal the scars that have caused him to be mocked. Will he meet Jesus and receive his miracle healing?
Nelson gave a unique interpretation of the life of Jesus, making the story simple, relatable, and interesting. Re-learning the story through the eyes of the Beggar Boy got me excited and super curious. It felt new and touching, just like the first time when I was introduced to it. The author's inclusion of the characters with disabilities was commendable and helped set the book apart. The readers are reminded that beggars are human. They possibly face the same struggle and if given half the opportunity their talents stand a chance of thriving. The description of the characters was so detailed and portrayed a vivid picture of their uniqueness. No Dark Clouds is definitely a book fitting for Christians, however, non-believers of the Christian faith will profit from reading the story. It is flooded with profound themes, such as, "you can only change the present and the future." People who have wondered who this Jesus is, but were reluctant to learn from the bible, should look no further because this book will quench their curiosity. Moreover, the study guides at the end of the book will provide a deeper understanding.
One of my favorite lessons is found on page 84, " it is best to judge someone from within, not by how they appear on the outside." And the lesson matches one of the many themes found at the beginning of the book, "Judge someone from within." This was perceivable when the Beggar Boy was first introduced to Mishea, who clearly didn't care about how he looked on the outside, but treated him like any other kid. Something that came as a surprise to the boy, since he was used to people making fun of him. The true essence of who we are is our soul and spirit and not our physical appearance. Everybody is perfect and complete at their core, in my opinion. Another lesson of forgiveness was emphasized when Beggar Boy had to learn to forgive those who have hurt him in the past, as well as Leonidas. I have come to learn that harboring unforgiveness is one of the powerful spiritual energies that will derail you from moving forward. Though it's not easy, it is better to find a way and courage to do it and free yourself.
The benefit of reading the story is education, enlightenment, and inspiration. If I were to give my humble advice to the author, it would be to include a table of contents. This might be useful, should the reader want to go back to specific sections in the book for a deeper understanding, but without the table of contents that might be a challenge. There were a couple of errors that didn't have an impact on my reading. The applause goes to the editor, who executed a sterling job. This is a well-written and professionally edited novel. I was satisfied by the dénouement, therefore I fully rate the book 4 out of 4. It was so compelling I couldn't put it down.
******
No Dark Clouds
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon