The Brother's Keeper

The Brother’s Keeper #1

by Tracy Groot

Thirty Years after he followed a star to Bethlemen, one of the Magi is back on another mission. This time, he is sent not to an infant "king of the Jews," but to the king's brother James. The sons of Joseph run a successful carpentry business in Nazareth. At least, it was successful until the oldest Brother, Jesus, left home to tell the world he will forgive their sins and save their souls. Now everyone is hearing outlandish reports of healings and exorcisms. Business is suffering; not many people want a stool made by the family of the local crazy man. James wants nothing more than to shut out the strangeness and have a normal life. But normal walked out the day his brother did, and strange things keep happening. One brother starts listening to Jesus' troubling speeches. Fanatical Zealots descend on Nazereth to convince the family to join their fight against Rome. An eerie visitor with a foreign accent tells James to "consider it all joy." James knows that this year's Passover pilgrimage will be more important than ever. He must find Jesus and talk some sense into him. He must warn of a possible plot against Jesus. And he must decide for himself who his brother really is. What does James not know, on the dusty road to Jerusalem, is that more than one faction has murder on it's mind. Tracy Groot is a part time writer, full-time mother, and co-owner with her husband, Jack, of a coffee shop in Holland, Michigan.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Christian, Historical

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Tracy Groot is the critically acclaimed and Christy Award–winning author of several works of historical fiction. Her books have received starred Booklist and Publishers Weekly reviews and have been called "beautifully written" and "page-turning" by Publishers Weekly, and "gripping" with "exquisitely drawn" characters by Library Journal.

Tracy and her husband have three grown sons and a daughter-in-law and enjoy board games, warm vacations, any kind of travel, Detroit Lions football, foodie experiences, and most anything that gives them time together.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and uplifting this is the moving story of James, the brother of Jesus!
The Publisher says,

"In a starred review, Booklist called The Brother's Keeper "...a lyrical and affecting first novel. His name is James. He was the brother of Jesus Christ. The Brother's Keeper is a story imagined from the few known facts of the life of a real man. The book tells the story of the latter part of Jesus' ministry, up through his death and resurrection, as seen through the eyes of His own family. Tracy Groot takes readers, with James, on a journey from unbelief to belief as James grapples with the question of who Jesus is."

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Brother's Keeper after reading Madman by the same author (which I loved.) Brother's Keeper is a story surrounding James, the brother of Jesus. James, as well as his brothers and sister, are grappling with the idea of who their brother is. Brother ... yet prophet? teacher? messiah? Certainly the garner of more attention for the family from Nazareth than they wanted.

Groot actually has several focal characters. She tells James' story as well as the story of his sister Jorah and a boy named Nathaniel.

Things I liked about it:
** the characters. Tracy Groot is fantastic at portraying real living, breathing characters.

Things I didn't like about it:
** My main gripe when finishing it was that the romance between James and Keturah was not finished. Almost like she forgot about it. Strange.
** It was difficult for awhile to see where James stood concerning Jesus. Although this is the point of the whole book, he seems to ... have a brotherly defensiveness toward Jesus that indicates affection and love, but at the same time has a lot of bitterness and anger toward how his brother's ministry is affecting their family and himself personally. I found this positive and negative viewpoint rather confusing. Perhaps that was just me.

All in all - a good read! Be prepared - if you can't stand sad endings, this book may not be for you. If you can ... check it out! Worth the read.

[Alli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting and characters were at times hard to follow, and during the first 40 pages I was unsure if I’d keep at it. But I rated this 5 stars as there were many beautiful moments where my heart melted at the papable struggle and emotion of the characters. How often do we think of Jesus’ family as real people who really wrestled with His actions and ministry?! Praise to Tracy Groot for bringing this family to life and so eloquently writing of the road to faith (it takes nothing short of His revelation!)

[Wendy Park · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I loved the premise of it...looking at the lives of Jesus’s family members. But most of the book careens from scene to scene with little to hold them together. The characters are one dimensional. You cannot understand their motives. It’s as if their entire back story is missing. Most of the book leads you to be unsympathetic towards any of them. The redeeming grace of the book is one of the final chapters on James’s outlook on joy. This book could have been better written.

[Ashley Harkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot, I loved it so much I wanted to see what else she had. James is my favorite Bible character so I was very excited for this book. Unfortunately, even a 3 star rating is a little generous. Ultimately the story ended on a great note but it was so repetitive and just had no substance. I was disappointed. I love novels that share a glimpse into Bible times and for that reason it was interesting but fell short in keeping me captivated.

[Janette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting plot of how the brothers and sisters of Jesus might have felt about him and his mission. I found myself thinking about this premise for days after finishing it. For that reason I gave it 4 stars.

[Lisa Laster-Kropp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the exploration of Jewish culture and family life. The story gives a why to Jesus' call to tell James about his resurrection.

[Micaiah Keough · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - RTC

[Karen Hooker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story about the trials joys and internal struggles of being the brother of Christ.

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual book with a takeoff on what Jesus' brothers and sisters may have felt about his ministry. Not one of my favorite books, but an interesting read.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I liked it. I didn't disagree with the theology for the most part but

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed

[Sarah Fameronag · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️

[Leah Fender · Rating 4 out of 5]

After thoroughly enjoying 1CMadman 1D by Tracy Groot, I wanted to try another one of her historical fiction works. After completing a study on the book of James, I was eager to start 1CThe Brother 19s Keeper 1D that told of his struggle to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Like her other works, this book took a while to get into.

The story surrounds James, Jesus 19 brother, and the rest of the family (including his sisters). They are wrestling with the idea of who their brother really is. Is Jesus a prophet, teacher, messiah, or just simply nuts?

I have always questioned how his own family could have struggled with believing when they lived with him! How is this possible? If I lived with the Son of God, wouldn 19t it be obvious that something was different about my brother?

If you 19ve studied James at all, we know that Jesus 19 brothers did not believe he was Christ, at least while he lived, but something changed along the way. What? We know that Jesus appeared to James after his death and resurrection, and James later becomes the leader of the church. But really? Why would it take Jesus appearing to him after living with him all this time? This has always baffled me.

Groot weaves together historical documents and biblical truth to create a story that attempts to explain what could have happened in Jesus 19 family. She masterfully describes what life was like at this time, and at the end of the book, you will understand Jewish law better than ever before.

At the risk of giving too much away, I will wrap up my review by saying I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to other historical fiction lovers.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I've read better authors but Tracy Groot is good and this book tackled a subject I've never given much consideration to, if any--Jesus' siblings, especially James. Many authors have written novels about Mary but I've never read any dealing with the family dynamics of having Jesus as your brother. The time period is after Jesus has left home and begun his ministry so He never plays a role in the book, per se. But the emotional struggles the rest experience and the dramatic ending brought about by the crucifixion and resurrection brought me new things to contemplate. I'm so glad I picked this up; it was an encouragement to me to "Consider all things joy" and to have a fresh understanding of what that means. Highly recommend.

Update: This has become one of my favorite Easter novels and I pulled it off the shelf and reread it again in two days. New things to think about each time. Third time I've read it!

New Update:Just read it again. Read in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2023. It's that good! I've also read the other two in the series and they give a satisfying finish to some characters but they are not as gripping as this one.

[Laura DeNooyer-Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wonder what it would have been like to grow up as a sibling to Jesus of Nazareth? It’s one thing to have a brother who can do no wrong, but what happens when that same brother starts up an unusual and controversial ministry and claims to be the Son of God? How do people treat your family when your so-called prophet of a brother claims to heal, teaches in his hometown synagogue, and is nearly stoned for blasphemy?

The family wallows in the muck of shame. Complicating the matter, dangerous Zealots show up wanting the brothers to join forces with them, which would draw Rome’s suspicions.

The multiple viewpoints that tell this story make us privy to how Jesus’s actions impacts his siblings, particularly James. There is no neutral ground. James must decide to either defy the so-called blasphemer, enlist his help with the zealots, or ask for healing for himself or friend Nathaniel. Family strain parallels the tensions of first century Palestine, making for a compelling read in and of itself, also serving as the perfect set-up for the next book, The Stones of My Accuser.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book underscores what I appreciate about Biblical fiction: it reminds the reader that Biblical persons were actual people, who lived, thought, felt. Who has ever considered what being a sibling of Jesus would have been like? How was life easy or difficult for those who grew up with him, then watched as He journeyed inexorably to the cross? The author took the facts recorded in the Bible and wove a story about James and the other siblings that, though most likely is not true in every detail, at least gives the reader something to ponder. And the feelings and thoughts expressed very likely would have been felt by Jesus' siblings. And excellent story!

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit this. I never thought I would finish this book. It took me at least halfway through before it grabbed me strong enough to want to go on. Ever wonder what it was like to grow up in the home of Jesus? How would people treat you because of your brother Jesus? What was with Him and why did he leave the family whwen He did? Would you have thought of Him as being the Son of God? This author gives a prospective of all of this and more. Amazing what life may have been like then. Glad I finished it.

[Lena Hartshorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting past the language at times can be an obstacle. Otherwise this is a great, great story! It gives a wonderful background to Jesus' life from the point of view of his family, namely his brothers, sister and mother. The thing is of course, that Jesus' family are only briefly mentioned in the Bible, and yet this story gives such a substantial and real idea of what it must have been like for them growing up with Jesus and watching him during his years of ministry. You'll shed some tears, I have no doubt!

[Talitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it might have been like to be one of Jesus Christ's siblings? Isn't it easy to forget He had earthly family who grew up with Him and knew Him in ways no one else did? For anyone with a love of historical fiction and/or an interest in Jewish culture and traditions, this is a must-read. Just remember that while in accord with biblical accounts, this book is not fact--only fiction. Easter is the perfect time of year to enjoy it!

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book. I'd forgotten how much I love it. I remember the first time I read it, I wasn't sure how I felt about reading a fictional account that had anything to do with Jesus but it's so well done. Makes you see a different side of things and really think about how hard it probably was for Jesus's family when they really didn't understand what was going on. And coincidentally, James has always been my favorite book in the Bible.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Madman by Groot, I knew I was in for another trip down Biblical paths. Once again, I felt I were in the days of Israel during Jesus' life. This story centers around Jesus' family, particularly his brother James. You read this and you will cry and wonder at it all, and now I find Groot is writing a sequel...
Be transported into those old days and find people seeking after God they same as we do today.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough how once again-as in another of hers I read "madman"-how this author gives us meat and gets down to how it could really be happening behind the scenes in the Bible. this time it is the way Jesus family may have felt towards him and all that could have went on there. I cannot recommend enough. Great book.

[Amy Riccio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of Tracy Groot's other two novels, I'd say this is the weakest of the three. I loved the character of Nathanael and the relationship between Nathanael and James, but the tensions in the story were not strong enough to keep me captivated. It ended well, semi-strong, and touched me... but the story as a whole lacked the life that her other two novels have had.

[Kate Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about James

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging portrayal of James, New Testament author and half-brother of Jesus Christ.

[Karen Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read!