Star of Wonder

Title: Star of Wonder
Author: Angela Hunt
Major Themes: Christmas, Ancient Israel
Synopsis: Twenty-five short chapters each focus on a different topic from the Christmas story to help keep a family’s mind focused on Jesus during the four weeks of Advent.

I do not normally request devotionals to review. However, I have really been enjoying Angela Hunt’s books over the last few years, so when I saw Star of Wonder, I thought it might be interesting. Because it was a devotional, though, I didn’t look into it any further until after I found a preview and read the first couple of chapters. Then, I was hooked. I wanted to read the whole book.

Mrs. Hunt has divided this devotional into four sections. Part one is titled “The Places of Christmas.” She has one chapter devoted to each of the seven places that are important in the Christmas story, including, of course, Nazareth and Bethlehem, but also the “Kingdom of the East.” I found each of these to be quite informative, and also inspirational.

Next is “The Prophecies of Christmas.” This is another six chapters, each one about a different theme in the prophecies of Jesus’ coming. This includes prophecies of place and timing, as well as a chapter that talks about patterns in prophecies.

The third section is about “The People of Christmas.” This includes the people you would expect: Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, and the Wise Men, but also some that were unexpected. Those included the Maccabees, which gave some background to the chapter about Herod.

The last section is about the purpose of Christmas. What would the world be like if Christmas had not come? Of course, more properly we should ask if Jesus had not come. So, why did He come? Two chapters tell us that He came to bring God to us, and to bring us to God. I appreciated this section, too, the grand finale of the entire book.

While I cannot vouch entirely for the historical accuracy of everything Angela Hunt has written in Star of Wonder, I found it thought-provoking and inspiring. I appreciate everything she has shared. It definitely makes the Christmas story more meaningful. I have been appreciating her Biblical fiction for several years, and now I will be watching for her nonfiction as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

No warnings!

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