Seeker of Stars
Scripture reveals little about the visitors to Jesus known as the Magi from the East. European folklore suggests three Magi and names them Caspar, Balthasar and melchior. Susan Fish’s Seeker of Stars is a fictional story surrounding these mysterious visitors, focusing in particular on the life journey that took Melchior to the Christ child.
We first meet Melchior as a boy who is enthralled with the stars. Expected to carry on in the family’s rug-making business, he has no hope of reaching his dream of studying the stars. Seeker of Stars is a novel not only about a young man’s dream of “reaching for the unmoving star and grasping it.” It is a deeper story of a soul searching for the one thing that will sustain it. It is the search for the Saviour.
Reta, Melchior’s wife, plays a key role in his journey. Her interpretation of an ancient scroll foretelling the coming of a Jewish messiah earns Melchior his honoured place on the search team. Reta’s character and motivation are not as fully dbveloped as perhpas they could have been in a longer piece.
Fish shows herself a master at creating images so vivid the reader cannot help but see the canopy of stars dancing in the night sky and feel the “relentless blaze” of the desert sun. She welcomes the reader into the story to cry and rejoice with the characters through each challenge and victory.
Based on a Scriptural foundation, Fish has crafted a story that is completely fulfilling on its own, but also lends itself to further study — resources that she provides for free downloading from her website. This book is perfect to read as Christmas approaches, but its enduring story of a soul in search of truth and the meaning of life is timeless.