Eron Manusov Reviews

Added August 19, 2005

Ahavah's Dream

Author: Eron Manusov
Publisher: Publish America
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: June 2005
Genre: Fiction: Historical
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 1413773583
Author Email/Website: www.ahavahsdream.com
Reviewer: Jeanine Berry
Rating: 5 Gargoyles

The events surrounding the life and death of Jesus and its aftermath have long been a source of inspiration and innumerable works of nonfiction and fiction. To his credit, author Eron Manusov has chosen an original path in telling this age-old story.

Ahavah is the daughter of Jesus (called Yeshua in the book) and Miryia. As a descendent of the House of David and the only child of Yeshua, she is the focus of the hopes, dreams and ambitions-for good or evil-of the cast of characters in the book. Still a very young girl (only thirteen), she has been raised in caves in the desert by members of her father's sect, kept hidden and safe from the dangerous world around her.

However, unrest is rampant in the region and the group decides to move to a safer hiding place. Along the way, they stop to stay with friends in a city. When Ahavah sneaks out to see the sights, along with her friend and companion Simon, she is kidnapped and her adventures begin.

A true innocent, Ahavah really has no idea of the forces that swirl around her. She's been kidnapped by agents of her grandfather, a member of the priesthood, who means to marry her off to advance his ambition of becoming high priest.

Ahavah's mother, Mirya, and the others of the order, such as Jacob, the brother of Jesus, must make a plan to get Ahavah back and ultimately, to get her to someplace safe, beyond the reach of the turmoil in the Holy Land, where she can eventually lead those around her along the path of truth. In the midst of their planning, chaos erupts when Herod declares he is the messiah and is immediately struck down by what appears to be poison.

As a novel, Ahavah's Dream offers something few other novels do-a glimpse into an ancient and mystical belief system known as gnosis, a word which means "knowledge" in Greek and refers to experiencing direct knowledge of the truth. In recent years the rediscovery of ancient manuscripts, such as the Gospel of Thomas, has reawakened an interest in gnosticism. In Ahavah's Dream, the author has truly captured the sense of inner peace and spirituality of this faith in his portrayal of Ahavah and the group of believers around her.

Unfortunately, the novel is marred in other ways. Many of the characters, and particularly the grandfather, seem only caricatures designed to carry out their roles in the religious drama, not fully imagined human beings. Some readers will also be put off by the lack of editing and frequent typos. And while everyone in the book keeps making a fuss about Ahavah, in the end you have to wonder why, as she is a passive character throughout, swept along by the tide of events rather than creating her own destiny.

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