Who is this Anne Rice, author of Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt? The only one I know of is the one who writes vampire stories, among them Interview with the Vampire and The Queen of the Damned, both of which were made into feature films. This is the same person, but this is not a vampire story.

Christ the Lord is a novel of Jesus at age seven. Rice sets him in the magnificent city of Alexandria, Egypt, where his family – parents, step-brothers, cousins, uncles and aunts – are prospering as carpenters. But when they hear that King Herod had died and it is now safe for them to return to the Holy Land, the family decides to return to Nazareth.

On their journey home, they stop at Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, but a rebellion breaks out and they must flee Jerusalem. As they move on they run into pockets of trouble with rebels and the Roman soldiers harshly putting down the rebellion. Many people die and much property is destroyed, but Jesus’ family arrive safely in Nazareth and return to somewhat normal lives. Jesus does not know the whole story of his birth in Bethlehem. His family keeps parts of it from him, like the murder of the Holy Innocents and his mother’s witness to the apparition of an angel. But throughout the novel, miraculous events occur or are alluded to.

Rice includes a long author’s note in the back of the book which probably should have been printed before the novel commences to inform readers about the book’s background. The note also serves as the story of her conversion back to Catholicism several years ago. She did not convert lightly but with thought and prayer, and she wanted this book to be as historically accurate as possible. Her academic and spiritual preparation for writing Christ the Lord included poring over many books about the Scriptures, multiple versions of the Bible, and non-canonical books such as the Gospel of St. Thomas. She also researched Alexandria firsthand.

Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt is an inspiring first-person story told from the point of view of the child Jesus that brings out both the humanity and divinity of Christ. It is highly recommended for those looking for a quality Christian novel.