First Reader Reviews of ‘The Pilgrim’
In my upcoming historical novel, The Pilgrim, I recreate an important “scene” from the life of one of Christian history’s most important women: Helena, the mother of emperor Constantine.
The novel releases July 17, 2015, and early reader reviews are streaming in. Below are excerpts from seven reviews. Please click the link next to each reviewer’s name to access the full review.
Click the link to read Chapters 1-3 of The Pilgrim, free!
Tina Hunt, on Goodreads:
This is not a long book, but it’s deep. It’s not a difficult story, but it is rich and full.
Passionate and submitted. Regal yet humble. Life-changing. Hope filled. These are words that come to mind when I think about how Davis Bunn unfolds this story. There is a power that leaps from the page.
The characters in this story each make a pilgrimage, a journey of faith, whether it is across the sea or from behind a tree. There is the presence of evil and the battle to overcome fear and even find forgiveness.
When I was done, I was ready to go buy a gray traveling dress.
Judith Barnes, on Goodreads:
…It is the story of grief turning to a faith to forgive and to rebuild… The book is appropriate for Lenten reading. Believers and seekers alike will find a solid Christian message in this book while enjoying a lively tale.
Dave Milbrandt, on Goodreads:
…In The Pilgrim, we are introduced to Helena, mother of the famed Roman emperor Constantine, who travels to the Holy Land to fulfill her own destiny and help others to do the same. The charm of The Pilgrim is how Davis takes a timeworn story sitting on the edge of our collective memory and breathes new life into the tale through his flowing, almost lyrical prose. This is a concise, well-told tale that likely will inspire you to seek your own purpose in life.
Tracie Heskett, on Goodreads:
…This gripping story has a strong theme of forgiveness and serving God. It gave me something to think about even after I finished reading…
…The ending was a little disappointing, in that it read more like a biography and less like the story I had just read. I still give the book 4 stars, though, because Bunn does a good job incorporating research to tell this story of a little known piece of history. For lovers of historical fiction, The Pilgrim delivers that fresh taste of something that hasn’t been overdone.
Sherry Arni, on Goodreads:
…The characters are one of the strongest aspects of the book. Their enemies are powerful, overwhelming, though I expected a little more from them at points in the book. Still, The Pilgrim allows us into the lives of Christ-followers in a most difficult period of history. It delights as Bunn’s novels invariably do.
Cindy Eberle, on ChristianBook.com:
I love history, and learned of Helena’s contributions when we visited Rome. But unless you are willing to plow through the long historical documents, there is little available about the believers of this era. This book fills the gap AND is an enjoyable novel with memorable characters… My only wish? I would love a summary, at the end of the book, to know which events are historical fact and which are filling in artistic details.
Shelley Walling, on Goodreads:
…This book filled my spirit as I pictured Empress Helena traveling to Judea and saving countless Christians along the way. I know for a fact she angered Satan in her quest to follow God’s plan for her life.
