Prompt Response: Eli by Bill Myers
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
If you could rewrite any book’s ending, which one would you choose?
First, let me tell you that I loved this book—all but the ending. Eli by Bill Myers is an excellent book, and you’ll see by the 4.8 star average that most people think so. If you visit (via my associate link in the title) you’ll see that it’s on sale with 40% off in Kindle format right now, and 13% off for the mass market paperback.
A Brief Description
Eli is a creative journey into a world where Jesus has not yet been born. Mary and Joseph are hippies looking for a safe place to have their baby, and they settle for a laundry room in an apartment complex. So just by this start, you can see the wonderful and creative mind of the author.
The journey continues into His adult life and includes events like Jesus walking through a tornado in Kansas and bidding His new follower to join Him in the midst of the storm. If you’ve read the Bible, you know the story of Peter the disciple watching YahShua (Jesus) walk through a storm on the sea and asking to be invited to join Him.
Matthew 14:25-30 BSB
[25] During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. [26] When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear. [27] But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” [28] “Lord, if it is You,” Peter replied, “command me to come to You on the water.” [29] “Come,” said Jesus. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. [30] But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.14.25-30.BSB
The book continues at a nice pace covering most of the events we would expect to see in a world that is yet without a Savior. I thoroughly enjoyed all the creativity and the backstory the author weaves in about the one who is sharing these events as they unfold. I highly recommend the read.
A warning about what is the equivalent of the crucifixion scene…
This is not a bad warning, just a warning for those who are emotionally moved by the pain and sacrifices of our Messiah. I don’t think any of us have seen an actual crucifixion, so even at its most real (like The Passion of The Christ movie,) it’s still not truly familiar. Bringing it into today’s society with cowboys kicking Him with their pointy-toed boots had a realistic feel because of similar scenes in movies and, for some, in real life. Some of the moments with the beatings still bring tears even though I read it probably 15+ years ago. If you want to really see YahShua as a victim paying a price for your sins, this is a powerful way to see it.
Here’s the biblical version with the crucifixion…
Matthew 27:27-31 BSB
[27] Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him. [28] They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. [29] And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” [30] Then they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly. [31] After they had mocked Him, they removed the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.27.27-31.BSB
Now About That Ending
So the ending isn’t bad. It does not change the focus or purpose of the book or the strength of the story. It just adds an event to the end that I wish was not there. If I were writing it, I would’ve wrestled for another ending that didn’t leave me wondering why it had to go THAT way. But I won’t spoil it for you in case you read it for yourself.
Just know that I would’ve written the hospital scene and the ending with the narrator character with a little more hope. As I write this now, though, I realize the life of Peter in the Bible didn’t have an ending I would write either, so maybe the author used that narrative to guide his ending. But in fiction, you have a little more artistic freedom, so go read it for yourself and then tell me how you think you would’ve written the ending.
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📖A Muse in Mourning
I was searching for something else when I came across an old story I’d drafted but not edited in 2013 for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writer’s Month, which has—sadly—shut down for good). I’m thinking of finishing it, so I thought I’d get some opinions and thoughts from readers here. Please comment and share your reactions and ideas to the opening page of chapter 1 for my novel A Muse in Mourning. Thanks!
She just isn’t listening anymore. I’ve tried everything: the soft whisper of an idea, the steady hum of a conversation, and finally, the shrill scream of a shout. I believe I’ve exhausted every trick a muse has to get her subject’s attention, but the signal seems dead. She can’t—or won’t—hear me anymore.
Six months ago, when her father left her mother and sister and she moved back home to help, I felt Cameo begin to pull away from me. Between busy and exhausted, her mind had no time for even a tiny jewel of creative thought. I fought for her. I am a relentless fighter. But she started turning a deaf ear to my ideas; to my voice. It wasn’t just silence either; it was a thickening of the air, like a sorrowful fog had engulfed her. Now, there is no more resonance. There is just the heavy, quiet of a room where no one speaks. What am I supposed to do when the very expression of my being has buried herself in such deep grief and sadness?
We were born into this world as a pair, an ancient spark of creativity, and a brand-new heart filled with creative potential. We are the same thing, just experienced from different sides. But now she’s letting the fire go out just to keep her mother’s mourning company. She is trying to be a good daughter, but at what cost to herself? If she refuses to listen to my voice, she will calcify. She’ll become a monument to the girl she used to be—her mind becoming an unworkable stone with no creative spark; a relic of a daughter instead of a living, breathing woman. And if she settles into that lifeless state, I flicker out.
A week ago, I couldn’t take the distance anymore. I abandoned the edges of her mind and got right in her ear. “Cameo!” I screamed, my voice breaking. “Please, just hear me.” I was crying by then, begging her to feel the pulse of the heart we share. “Write, Cameo. Just pick up a pen. Draw a stick figure. Anything to bridge the gap between us. Don’t just bury your face in the glow of that screen to escape the shadows of this house. You bought that device to build a world, not to hide from this one. Your life depends on it.”
I added the last part in a ragged whisper: “And so does mine.”
So, do you want to know more? Does the title and opening page grab you and stir your curiosity? Does the story of a caregiver being too worn out to be creative resonate with any of you?
I have so many books and stories started, and they tumble around in my mind making sure I won’t forget them. But sometimes, one pops up unexpectedly and begs me to work on it. And now I invite you to join me on the journey.
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