Review by SamuelHope -- Bedu: Bedouin Boy, Poet King

[SamuelHope]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Bedu: Bedouin Boy, Poet King" by David W. Sutherland and Paul McKellips.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Bedu: Bedouin Boy, Poet King by Colonel David Sutherland & Paul McKellips drew me in and kept my intention until the very end. It held a similar charm to the Little Prince and the storyline reminded me of The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

The story opens when a caravan consisting of a Magi, a princess, and one hundred and thirty two soldiers arrive at Bedu’s home. His father slaughters their remaining livestock to feed the guests. This angers Bedu and compels him to steal five gold coins from the Magi. The next morning he is given five more coins as well as the task of traveling to Hebron in order to replace the livestock. He is also tasked with checking on the princess each winter in Bsharri. Filled with shame over his thievery, he departs.

As the story continues, Bedu encounters increasing difficulties and delays but he also learns valuable lessons. He’s robbed, beaten up, and loses his uncle. But he also learns how to run a business to increase his earnings, as well as how to ride horses and breed sheep. He exits the book a much changed man in comparison to the boy he started out as.

The tale is written in third person perspective and provides interesting insight into the lives of the Bedouin people in the early to mid 30’s A.D. Sutherland and McKellips do a wonderful job incorporating Biblical figures such as the three Wise Men, the shepherds from the birth of Christ, and Jesus himself. Readers interested in religious and historical fiction would find this book deeply engaging.

The authors did a good job incorporating themes such as bravery, generosity, and love. These, among others, greatly complement the adventures Bedu experiences, and they are wrapped up in lessons learned not only by the characters but by the readers as well. “Life has no limits if you have values or morals and healthy desires,” as the Magi Melchior puts it. The book is chock full of other important lessons as well.

The prose was well written, poetic at times, and I never felt as if I was getting jolted out of the story. I could find nothing in this book worth giving it a lower rating. I believe that Bedu: Bedouin Boy, Poet King is a story that will find its place in the hearts of many readers beside myself and it’s a story that I’ll be rereading for years to come.

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Bedu: Bedouin Boy, Poet King
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