Are you a Christian who enjoys historical fiction novels? Then Shawn Stanley’s work, A Man Whose Name Was Joseph, is definitely a book for you! Set around the beginning of the first century AD, this book portrays what Joseph might have been like and how he might have dealt with the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. Other narratives of current events are also brought into play – Herod’s dealings with the Jews, happenings at the local Roman garrison, Zealot stirrings, etc. All this to give the reader a deep, if brief, glimpse into the life and times of A Man Whose Name Was Joseph.

When I first picked up the book, A Man Whose Name Was Joseph, I was not sure about it. In the first few pages, the characters seemed wooden and stilted, like string puppets on a stage, stuttering out their lines before being jerked into a new scene. But as the book progressed, the characters began to fill out and realistically weep and rage and bleed and struggle and rejoice. Shawn Stanley masterfully wove the plot till I could not put the book down… I HAD to find out what was going to happen to Joseph during his fight with the Romans and whether the spy would cave in to Herod’s demands. Even though I knew Joseph, Mary and Jesus would ultimately be all right, my heart still pounded at some of their close calls. There are a few punctuation errors in the book and that bothered me somewhat, but not enough to put down the work! My advice to you: overlook the rough beginning and periodic puzzling punctuation and delve into the dramatic life and times of A Man Whose Name Was Joseph.

Shawn Stanley writes an interesting depiction of Joseph in A Man Whose Name was Joseph. With love, hope and excitement in the air, Joseph becomes betrothed to Mary. Yet, all the plans for their future are tainted when Joseph hears the rumors that Mary is pregnant. Confusion. Doubt. Duty. What to do? How could a descendant of King David allow a bastard child into his bloodline? After a couple of angelic visits, both Joseph and Mary are determined to follow the path that lies before them. Joseph's friends and family think he is crazy. Meanwhile, Herod’s evil scheme to thwart the up-rise of the Zealots and destroy any future Jewish king overshadows the young couple’s resolve. Joseph promises God he will protect Mary and her unborn holy child at all cost. Even if this pledge costs him his life.

Shawn Stanley desires his readers to have a deeper understanding of Jesus’ earthly father. A Man Whose Name was Joseph endeavors to fill in the gaps that scripture does not reveal. Stanley makes assumptions, takes liberties, and uses his imagination to give life to a familiar story. The writing style is simple, the story reads with ease. The clever, fictitious inclusions carried the action and intensified the plot. Full of information, at times it reads as a documentary, making the flow a bit unsteady. However, Stanley did a nice job setting up the climax. Stanley minimized the setting descriptions, giving focus to characterization. The friendship factor between Joseph and Amos created balance and depth into Joseph's character. The author wrote strong characters, placing them intricately within the story. My favorite part of the narrative was when Gabriel opened Joseph’s eyes to the life of Christ and all it would represent: “We are spectators, Jesus must face this alone.” The book truly exposes the heart of a father toward his son.

Beautifully written.
I enjoyed this book especially during the Christmas season to remember Christ's birth and mission on earth. Joseph and Mary were destined for their roles.

Love It!
I Love to Read stories about People who were in the Bible. I loved everything about this Book. I would Recomend this to everyone Who Loves to Read stories about Hero's. To Me Joseph has always been a Hero Because He saved Mary from having to be Ridiculed and having to Raise Jesus alone.

Wonderful!
Great story of the possibilities that could have taken place in the life of the man Jesus knew on earth as his father. Really good book

A good description of the life of Jesus' parents.
Joseph's Story was a quick read. With a few extra details, it depicted the Biblical story closely.The book created a better understanding of what it must have been like for the parents of Jesus.The writing was simple and I would recommendd it for even an elementary school student.