About a dozen years ago my wife and I read a little devotional called Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter. It was published by Plough Publishing, the publishing arm of an intentional Christian community called the Bruderhof (also called Church Communities International). It was a wonderful collection of stories, poems, memoir and theological reflection. It remains my favorite Lenten devotional.

This year Plough Publishing has published a new book for the Easter Season: Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season. Edited by Miriam Leblanc with beautiful woodcut illustrations by Lisa Toth, this book gathers twenty-seven stories which are related, in some sense, to Easter and Passion week. A poem and a tale from Bruderhofer, Jane Tyson Clement, opens the collection, but the theological perspectives and literary styles of what follows are diverse. There are stories that follow closely the passion narratives and Easter story (see Andre Trocme's How Donkeys Got the Spirit of Contradiction or Clarence Jordon's Stories from the Cotton Patch Gospel). There are stories that speak evocatively about Easter and the meaning of spiritual transformation (for example, C.S. Lewis's 'The Death of the Lizard' excerpted from "The Great Divorce" or Sarah Cone Bryant's Robert of Sicily). A few of these tales come from European folklore. Mostly these stories were penned in the Nineteenth or Twentieth Century. Vocationally the authors were novelists, dramatists, childrens' story authors, pastors, and poets). There are Christian authors, communists and the religious unaffiliated.

As diverse at the material is, the authors and stories selected are from White Europeans (or their American descendants). There are German, Russian, English, French, Swedish, American authors. While this is a limited selection, it does reflect the context and heritage of the Bruderhof. I picture that these are the sort of tales that they would tell their young. I had read some of the material they include here (C.S. Lewis, Tolstoy, Wangerin, etc), some authors I knew by reputation, others were unfamiliar to me.

As with all collections, I enjoyed some stories more than others. Some grabbed me, others didn't. On the whole, however, an enjoyable collection and thought provoking. Story has a way of igniting the imagination and helping us see the meaning of things. Can't think of a better subject matter than the Easter event. I do not think this is as strong a collection as Bread and Wine was, but it is a worthwhile and enjoyable read. Toth's woodcuts are stunning. I give the book 3.5 stars.

Notice of Material Connection, I received this book from the publisher via Handlebar Media in exchange for my honest review. ( )

Good selection of stories on themes of mercy, resurrection, new life, and transformation. Only a couple clunkers - "Mary's Child", Wilde's "The Selfish Giant". Standouts for me included Andre Trocme's donkey stories and Walter Wangerin's "The Ragman". ( )

This is a great book to dip into as you go forth into the Easter season. A church could use this as a book study group. Most of the authors of the 27 stories are quite well-known. Surely many would be stirred by many of them. My wife and I read aloud the first part of leo Tolstoy's "Two Old Men" nd then thought as the time was passing on, we could get away with reading the last two pages and discovered this is a story that needs reading from beginning to end. It is good to have a book that claim your attention. This book is part of a series of stories for various church seasons being put out by Plough Publishing. ( )

I've really enjoyed this book. Yes, some of the stories aren't my favorite, but this has proven to be an encouragement and and enjoyable read. The Selfish Giant is a favorite... ( )

Excellent resource - the stories are just what I need for jump starting the preparation of Easter worship. With such a central event for the Christian faith, it is sometimes daunting to revisit it with a fresh eyes. This compilation brings the cream of the batch to you. ( )