Jackaroo: A Novel of the Kingdom
By Cynthia Voigt
In a distant time and far-off kingdom, life is hard. People don’t have enough to eat, and winter is upon them. There’s little that offers hope, and many turn to the legends of Jackaroo — the masked outlaw hero who rides at night giving aid to the helpless and coin to the destitute — for solace. But Gwyn, the Innkeeper’s daughter — sensitive, industrious, and independent — is too practical to believe such tales.
But when a snowstorm forces her and a young Lordling to seek refuge in an abandoned house, Gwyn wonders if perhaps she has been too cynical. Hidden away in an old forgotten cupboard, Gwyn discovers a package — a cloak, a mask, a sword….Jackaroo? Could the stories be true?
It takes a shock and a devastating betrayal for Gwyn to begin to understand what — and who — Jackaroo really is. And she comes to know what part she will play in discovering the truth, such as it may be, behind the legends.
A very interesting story, but pretty sad. I find it unusual that in this setting there is no talk of God or heaven. Weren’t the Middle Ages supposed to be the Age of Faith?
About Stan Guthrie
Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine and for the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. His latest book is God's Story in 66 Verses. He also is author of All that Jesus Asks: How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us, Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century, and A Concise Guide to Bible Prophecy. He is co-author of The Sacrament of Evangelism. Besides authoring, writing, and editing books, Stan is a literary agent, bringing together good authors, good books, and good publishers.
Stan writes the monthly Priorities colum for BreakPoint.org. He has appeared on National Public Radio's Tell Me More, WGN's Milt Rosenberg program, and many Christian shows, including The Eric Metaxas Show and Moody Radio's New Day Florida. A licensed minister and an inspirational speaker, he served as moderator for the Christian Book Expo panel discussion, Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?
