Nearly two decades earlier, the tiny town of Auburn was transformed by the presence of a quiet, humble carpenter named Joshua. With gentle actions of love and words of peace, this mysterious man had a profound influence upon everyone he met. Since then, however, many of Joshua’s friends have passed away, and a generation has grown up not knowing him. And as the new millennium approaches, some have begun to get anxious, even panicked, about what God intends for them.
Amid this atmosphere of uncertainty, Joshua returns to reassure the people of Auburn by reminding them of the lessons he left them years before. He explains that God is love, not a monster intent on punishing them. But when an immense earthquake and other “signs of the apocalypse” seem to abound, Joshua realizes that his wisdom must reach beyond this small town to help the rest of the world.
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"I really enjoyed this book. puts Jesus into a real character and not just a power . Very well written! I bought a number of these books to give away I enjoyed it so much "
— Karen (4 out of 5 stars)
“Girzone uses Jesus’ relationships with both God and others to define what intimacy with God looks like.”
— Publishers Weekly“[The] novel exudes empathy for its characters’ loneliness and fears and gives readers a strong sense of what it means to live in an intimate relationship with God.”
— Amazon.com“Girzone’s empathy for the loneliness and insecurity of being human guides readers toward a more satisfying religious experience.”
— Booklist“Girzone draws on the wisdom of the centuries, writing [with] humanity and spirit.”
— Kirkus Reviews" I generally really love this series, but this one left too many unanswered questions. "
— Jeanette, 8/21/2013" It's a story about the return of Jesus in our day. His name is Joshua, and it gives you the likelihood that it really wouldn't be any different than when He came before. "
— Kathe, 3/25/2013" I was disappointed in this book. It didn't give me the same feeling as Joshua. Sometimes the first book is the best. I am now reading Joshua in the Holy Land. So far I like it a little better than Homecoming, but not as much as Joshua. "
— Heather, 11/13/2012" Spiritually up-lifting, and very comforting. "
— Fran, 12/31/2011" A good read... very comforting and reassuring. "
— Ginny, 9/21/2011" Dated. Observation of how many religious institutions and churches have acted in the past and continue to operate. Easy read, enjoyable, simplistic. "
— Lance, 2/23/2011" second-time read; simple, compassionate, yet deep on a human scale. It takes courage for many of us to be truly different and nonconforming. "
— Joan, 2/21/2011" liked it 20 yrs ago :-) <br/> "
— Ken, 1/30/2011" I don't remember it all that well. I read it sometime between 8th-10th grade... I remember it being a sweet book.<br/> "
— Suzq, 1/13/2011" This was a fantastic book. It was a great telling of the New Testament in a literal and enlightening way. I would love to see more books like this!!! "
— Joshua, 11/20/2010" A young, quiet, carpenter type man comes along. He makes an impact on everyone he comes into contact with, he shows up and leaves mysteriously. A great parable, Jesus as your neighbor. "
— Jim, 11/10/2010" Interesting story line but I thought the writing style was elementary - almost like a sermon at times....Thought provoking, easy, relaxing read. "
— Lois, 9/30/2010" for me it seemed as if the allegory tried too hard "
— Sue, 6/28/2010Joseph F. Girzone (1930–2015) was a Catholic priest who retired from the active priesthood in 1981 for health reasons and then embarked on a successful second career as a writer and international speaker. His books include Joshua and the Children, a New York Times bestseller. In 1995 he established the Joshua Foundation, an organization dedicated to making Jesus better known throughout the world.
Raymond Todd is an actor and director in the theater as well as a poet and documentary filmmaker. He plays jazz trombone for the Leatherstocking quartet, an ensemble that gets its name from one of his favorite Blackstone narrations, The Deerslayer. Todd lives in New York.