Why a book about Jesus?

I never intended to write a book about Jesus, although the figure of Jesus always intrigued me as a child growing up in a non-religious family. That's why I went to see the movie Jesus Christ Superstar when I was 13 and it was a turning point in my life. I understood that Jesus was just a human being like myself, while at the same time I saw that he carried a mystery that I could not fathom.

Swallowed by work, study and children, I did not have much time to delve further into the mystery of Jesus. Until at a difficult time in my life (I had a stressful divorce and had to move on as a single mother), I don't really know why, I asked God to help me through this difficult period. And He did that in a miraculous way.

It started with a performance by Steve Balsamo at Musicals in Ahoy. He sang the beautiful song 'Gethsemane' from Jesus Christ Superstar, my absolute favorite song from the movie, and he did this so wonderfully that it touched me deeply. The following week, out of nowhere, I got snippets of text in my head that I understood I was supposed to write down. They were texts about the crucifixion of Jesus but also about a romantic rendezvous he has with Mary Magdalene. And I also saw images that played out before my eyes like a movie, about Jesus as a child who on a sweltering day is on his way with two pitchers to fetch water for his mother and about a young Jesus in the monastery of the Essenes.

That was the beginning of what half a year later became this book. I therefore consider this beautiful story a gift that I feel should reach more than just the several thousand people in the Netherlands who have now read it with great emotions and wonderful comments. God would not have given me this gift if He did not intend for more to be done with it. It is therefore my mission to reach a much larger audience with this beautiful story. That is why I hope many people will read this beautiful novel.