My Name Is Ezra (The Thief On The Cross) by Cynthia Thillet gives a fictional account of the life of one of the thieves crucified with Jesus. The author has named the thief Ezra, and tells the story in the first person. Ezra grows up with his parents and younger sister and slowly falls into the trap of stealing. When his father dies as a result of Ezra’s actions, his family are destitute and go to live with Ezra’s grandfather for a while. Unfortunately, his grandfather dies and Ezra finds himself in service to a Roman named Atticus. Ezra works hard and earns the respect of his master and others, until he falls in love with the daughter of Atticus. Unaware that, as a Jew, he would not be allowed to marry a Roman, Ezra asks Atticus for his daughter’s hand in marriage. At that point Ezra’s world falls apart, and he finds himself with no other option but to run away. He steals a horse and some gold from Atticus. Along the way, he meets John the Baptist who makes him see the things he has done in his life differently, and he goes in search of the Messiah, Jesus.

The author, Cynthia Thillet, has taken an unusual approach by setting out the life of one of the lesser known characters of the Bible. Giving an authentic and believable account of an insignificant person’s life journey, she manages to build the character of Ezra into a memorable character, culminating in the words of Jesus at the crucifixion. ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’ This story brings to life and reality many people and situations from the Bible and really works well to reflect the social issues, the era, and the harshness of life in biblical times.

My Name Is Ezra, by Cynthia Thillet, is a retelling of the final days of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of the thief, Ezra. This charming little novella begins with the crucifixion of Ezra, for stealing a Roman's horse. On the cross beside him is Jesus of Nazareth. Ms. Thillet then takes us back in time to explain Ezra’s story. We learn of how he fell too easily into thievery, the heartaches and travails that his actions brought upon himself and his family, his time as a slave with the Roman, Atticus. Lost love. And his desperate escape through the desert.

Along the way he meets up with several important historical figures within the New Testament, each extolling the teachings of the Messiah. Ezra’s search for this Messiah – between avoiding Roman patrols - and His message of forgiveness leads him to Jerusalem at the time of Passover, and ultimately his capture. But before all is lost he learns from the teachings of Jesus, sees the error of his past ways, and greets his death on the cross with a sense of peace.

My Name Is Ezra covers familiar territory in one regard, the forgiving of our sins by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but also works on another level through the recounting of Ezra’s upbringing; that of parental involvement in a child’s formative years, or lack thereof. A worthy message for our times. Ms. Thillet’s sparse prose evokes a sense of time and place, and her clever spin on the age-old tale of sin and ultimate redemption in the eyes of God is well told and well worth the reader’s investment.