It is a special gift to have the ability to say sublime things in language that everyone can understand. The author of DUSK has that ability. With simplicity, creativity and much love she tells the greatest story ever told in a way that will touch the heart and soul of every reader, young and old. - Archbishop Emeritus Adam Exner, OMI From a dream to the real world of hope If you surrender like a child and enter the dream that Carolyn Budd-Goertzen had of a donkey named Dusk who helped Jesus, Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem and beyond, then you will be rewarded with a delightful experience of faith. DUSK is a magical story that will delight the innocent and young of heart but it is the classical, powerful story that gives hope today to our troubled world. Say a prayer before you start and let your imagination and the Holy Spirit carry you through this tale of adventure that you won t want to see end. Enjoy You will laugh and you will cry and you will want to hear more. - Bill Comerford, C.Ss.R. Given in a dream, DUSK chronicles the story of the birth and life of Jesus and the Holy Family from a very unique perspective. In her dream, the author listened in on the conversations and experiences of animals and people as this timeless story unfolded before her eyes. Since that dream, many years of research have gone into the creation of this historically accurate novel. The author takes you into the world of ancient Israel, bringing well known biblical figures to life. Beginning long before the birth of Jesus, the reader is drawn into the love story of Joseph and Mary in their earlier years. The reader is taken from the events surrounding this couple and the birth of Jesus through to the wedding at Cana when Jesus ministry begins. Told in a fresh and original way, DUSK fleshes out the supporting cast of witnesses. The innkeeper, the Roman soldiers, the rabbi from Nazareth, the donkey, Dusk, who was a childhood companion of Jesus and many more people come alive and tell of their encounters with the Holy Family. History comes alive as you read of the flight into Egypt and of the lives of the Holy Family while living near Alexandria. You will hear about Herod the Great and the evils he subjected the people of Israel to during his reign. You will read the gruesome details of his death and of his final acts of destructiveness. Through this you will understand the yearning in the hearts of the Jews for their Messiah to come and free them from their oppressors. DUSK is a book told with a refreshing style that makes it hard to put down All of the characters are portrayed in great detail and you will be drawn into their lives, feeling as though you have discovered new friends. When the book ends, you will find yourself wanting to know more about these people. Fortunately for the reader, the author has nearly completed a sequel which will cover the events from the miracle of Cana through to the Resurrection. You will read in the sequel of Jesus meeting and choosing His disciples and of His journeys throughout the Holy Land and into the Decapolis. You will meet the people who were healed by Him and others, like the woman at the well who had four husbands and was living with a man who was not her husband. You will hear her story and how she became one of the women who followed Jesus and helped care for Him and His disciples. You do not want to miss DUSK, the first in a series of three books.