The Handmaid and the Carpenter: A Novel Audiobook

" I have loved all of Elizabeth Berg's books. The characters and story lines are wonderful. "

" Interesting to compare to Two From Galilee. This wasn't as vivid as TFG. "

" Easy read and great intimate re-telling of the Christmas story from the parent's perspective. "

" In this wonderful novel about love and trust, hope and belief, Elizabeth Berg, the bestselling author of We Are All Welcome Here and The Year of Pleasures, transports us to Nazareth in biblical times to reimagine the events of the classic Christmas story. We see Mary young, strong, and inquisitives she first meets Joseph, a serious-minded young carpenter who is steadfastly devoted to the religious traditions of their people. The two become betrothed, but are soon faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Aided by a great and abiding love, they endure challenges to their relationship as well as threats to their lives as they come to terms with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the birth of their child, Jesus. For Mary, the pregnancy is a divine miracle and a privilege. For Joseph, it is an ongoing test not only of his courage but of his faith in his wife as well as in his God. Exquisitely written and imbued with the truthful emotions and richness of detail that have earned Elizabeth Berg a devoted readership, The Handmaid and the Carpenter explores lives touched profoundly by miracles large and small. This powerful and moving novel is destined to become a classic. Berg's sweetly understated dramatization of the Nativity story casts Mary and Joseph as provincial teenagers who try to honor family tradition in spite of challenging circumstances. Alternating between the voices of the holy couple, Berg relates a romance that blossoms at the wedding of relatives between the 16-year-old carpenter from Nazareth and the comely 13-year-old girl originally from Sepphoris. Mary, dreamy and intractable, already entertains notions of miraculous circumstances surrounding her own birth to her barren mother, Anne. Joseph is instantly smitten and engenders the trust of both families for a betrothal, yet Mary holds back, cherishing a sense of greater destiny. Escaping a near rape by a Greek man by the river, Mary then receives the angel's message that she will bear an extraordinary son, despite never having known a man; the sadly unwed Mary must return to Joseph, who repudiates her until he, too, is visited in a dream by an angel directing him on the honorable course. With Herod's decree that everyone return to their hometowns to register for the census, Joseph and the near-term Mary set off on their arduous and momentous journey to Bethlehem. Berg handles the gospel passages with a tender reverence. "

" a great retelling of the christmas story and a look into the politics they had to have dealt with back in those times. "

" My Christmas read by one of my favorite authors. Was ok but I love the story and it was intersting to read her intrepation of the events. "

" Wanted more - the end came to quick. "

" very sweet and nicely written but didn't match my view of things. "

" A fictionalization of the Christ birth story, focused on Mary and Joseph... it was ok. "

" I thought it was good story of the relationship between Joseph and Mary. Intriguing to think how that first year effected their future. Nicely written. "

" an occasion to read the story of the nativity through the daily lives of Mary and Joseph "

" Very nice story and well written. I always enjoy Elizabeth Berg novels and this one did not disappoint! "

" Basically, this book was just okay. Kind of fluffy and weak character development, but a decent fictionalization of Joseph and Mary's life. It's short, so might be a good way to spend a few hours during the holiday season! "

" This was a novelization of the story of Mary and Joseph. It gives some insights into the culture of the era and is as faithful the Bible as possible. It's a quick read "

" An unwelcome voyeuristic journey into Joseph and Mary's romance; and Joseph's love, but disbelief of Mary's immaculate conception. "

" This book has a great description of the night Jesus was born. You feel like you were there. "

" Perhaps it was me. Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorites, but this one fell short for me. "

" This is the story of Mary and Joseph, their courtship, their marriage. It focuses more on them than on Jesus Christ, but it gives you a glimpse of what it may have been like to raise the Savior. "

" I agree with another reader that third person is not Berg's forte. This is by far her worst book; I only picked it up because she wrote it. Oh well, that can't all be winners. "

" I didn't like Joseph being so full of doubt and Mary being so whiny and discontented. Maybe they were, but I didn't like them portrayed that way. "

" Lots of potential, but not enough development. "

" I love Elizabeth Berg but I could not get through this one. I tried several times to like it. "

" an imaginative take on the sotry of Jesus' birth, making the characters seem more human and real. "

" A human perspective on the birth of Jesus. The author takes what's been written in the Bible and elaborates on it to give the reader a better understanding of Mary and Joseph and the world they were living in. It brought their story to life in a way that I hadn't thought of it before. "

" At least the book was short. "

" Taught me stuff I never learned in Catholic school "

" Elizabeth Berg does a great job imagining the love story between Mary and Joseph in this short but sweet work of historical fiction. "

" Rather dull fictionalized version of Mary & Joseph's relationship. Elizabeth Berg read this audio book. Did not care for her reading style. Thank goodness it was short. "

" Just like the title says, the book is about the relationship between Mary and Joseph. Though scriptures can be hard to understand and leave a lot to the imagination (or inspiration) I have yet to find a novel that tells the story better than the original. "

" Read it with your spouse. Its a nice love story that helps to bring the nativity alive. "

" Taught me stuff I never learned in Catholic school "

" Great to read during the holidays. "

" I didn't like Joseph being so full of doubt and Mary being so whiny and discontented. Maybe they were, but I didn't like them portrayed that way. "

" An interesting imagining of the story of Jesus’ parents and the reality of their life together. Sweetly told with some historical perspective. "

" Easy read and great intimate re-telling of the Christmas story from the parent's perspective. "

" Berg has done an excellent job in this novelization of the oldest story in the world! "

" Very quick read; made me think of the Bible story in a different light. Now the story in the Bible doesn't seem so "HOLY!", so "UNBELIEVABLE".... I would recommend this to my friends. "

" Lots of potential, but not enough development. "

" I always try and read a good holiday story at Christmas time. This was was just ok. Ms. Berg took a lot of writers liberty with the traditional story. Some parts seemed very hurried and jumbled where others were too long in detail. "

" I agree with Sarah about the ending. Interesting topic but not fully developed. "