The Shadow Beside the Carpenter

Micah has spent his life being told what his crooked leg means. To the boys who mock him, it makes him an easy target. To his father, it is a weakness Micah must work harder to overcome. To Micah, it is proof that he will never be the son anyone hoped for.Then a boy from Nazareth picks up the walking stick Micah’s tormentors have thrown away. His name is Jesus, and he offers Micah something far more unsettling than pity: a place beside him.As their friendship grows, Micah begins to imagine a life beyond the narrow judgments of his village. Yet another figure has noticed his hurt. Ashar appears when Micah feels most alone, speaking aloud the resentments Micah tries to bury. He promises an end to humiliation. One day, the people who made Micah feel small could be made to fear him.Micah wants to refuse. He also wants to know what it would feel like to have that power.Years later, Micah follows Jesus along roads crowded with the sick, the hungry, the hopeful, and those eager to condemn them. He sees a man healed and must face the question he can scarcely bear to ask: Why not me? He watches Jesus welcome people others have cast aside, but each act of compassion sharpens Ashar’s temptation. If Jesus has the power to change lives, why has he left Micah’s leg as it is? How long must Micah endure cruelty before anger becomes justified?As Jesus’s following grows, so does the danger surrounding him. Friends falter. Authorities close in. The road leads to Jerusalem, where cheers can turn to accusations and loyalty carries a terrible cost. Ashar waits for the moment when grief and disappointment might finally persuade Micah to choose vengeance.From the barley fields of Nazareth to the shadow of the cross, The Shadow Beside the Carpenter tells the story of a man caught between the friend who sees his worth and the voice that offers to make others pay for failing to see it. Rich in historical atmosphere and driven by an intimate struggle with faith, shame, and belonging, this first book follows Micah through the events that will change his world.Micah has prayed for years to be made whole. When everything he believes is tested, he must decide what that prayer truly means-and what he will choose if the answer never comes as he expected.