Titus: A Comrade of the Cross

Title: Titus: A Comrade of the Cross
Author: Florence Morse Kingsley
Major Themes: Jesus, Gospels, Israel
Synopsis: Titus, a young man growing up in Capernaum, is interested in the ministry of Jesus.

This book has been on our shelf for many years, but no one had read it. I decided to incorporate Titus: A Comrade of the Cross into our study of Roman times this year, so started reading it aloud one day. My daughter was quite surprised how interesting it was, and most of the boys enjoyed it, too. One of them was not interested; he claimed it was quite boring! It is an older book, written in 1895, so the writing style is not the same as most of the books we read. It really brings the gospel story alive in a fresh way, however.

The main character of the story is Titus, a 19-year-old boy in Capernaum with a mysterious past. He hates the “work” he is forced to help his father, a robber, with. Titus’s story alternates with the story of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and occasionally the two stories come together. The story of Jesus is mostly taken from the book of John, and frequently is told with direct quotations from the Gospels. As I said before, this book really makes the old familiar stories come to life.

Titus’s mysterious past is easy to figure out fairly early on in the book, but all the way through you are kept in suspense, wondering how it will be resolved (sorry for being vague—I don’t want to spoil the story for you!). For being an older book, Titus: A Comrade of the Cross is remarkably well-done. I would recommend it for anyone wanting to share the gospel with children who don’t mind a slower-paced tale. It clearly shares God’s plan of salvation.

No warnings!