The Weeping Chamber

As far too many writers have proven, it can be a significant challenge to offer a fresh and satisfying perspective on the familiar events in the life of Christ, particularly the final week of Jesus' life on earth and the drama of the crucifixion and resurrection. But if there's one thing Sigmund Brouwer has proven, he's willing to take on a challenge, and his gifts as a writer are clearly equal to the challenges he faces. Brouwer offers a view of the events of Holy Week through the eyes of a merchant named Simeon, who has sacrificed the love and respect of his family in his unrelenting efforts to accumulate wealth. As a visitor to Jerusalem, he has heard of this prophet named Jesus and witnessed His arrival in the city, to the praise and adulation of the people who shouted hosannas at the sight of Him. Throughout what will prove to be a tumultuous week, Simeon wrestles with his personal pain and the memories of the losses he has suffered, his numbing depression, and the suicidal thoughts that seem to offer the only hope for escape from his shame and sorrow. But that was before his encounter with the living Christ. Simeon is, of course, Simeon of Cyrene, the bystander pressed into service by Roman soldiers to carry the cross when Jesus' battered body continually fell under its weight. As you might suspect, his life is transformed in the process. But Brouwer wisely allows that transformation to take place over time, steering clear of a predictable I've-carried-His-cross-and-now-I've-seen-the-light moment. Brouwer's skill as a storyteller is evident in all his books, and THE WEEPING CHAMBER is no exception. He creates a compelling backstory for Simeon's life and offers up the relevant details of that life a little at a time, keeping the reader in a continual state of curiosity about this man who has lost the will to live. He allows the story to unfold naturally through a seamless, gripping narrative and the daily letters Simeon writes to the wife whose love he has carelessly discarded. Even the familiarity of Palestine at the time of Christ gets a fresh makeover in Brouwer's hands, with the scenes that take place in Simeon's seaside home in his native Cyrene providing a welcome contrast to the hustle and bustle of Passover-week Jerusalem. Add to that the ability to write that most elusive of fictional elements --- believable dialogue --- and it's not hard to see why Brouwer has such a loyal fan base. THE WEEPING CHAMBER breathes new life into the story of Simeon and the journey from Palm Sunday to the empty tomb, just as a brief encounter with Jesus breathes new life into a man whose spirit is slowly dying. For fans of biblical fiction, especially those who have been disappointed by other historical novels set at the time of Christ, Brouwer's latest is a must-read.

This novel is one man's spiritual journey during Christ's final week on earth. As our main character struggles with his personal problems and guilt, he also interacts with Jesus. Will he see the true freedom that Jesus offers before time runs out for both of them?I was blown away when I read this book. Sigmund Brouwer weaves a fictitious story around the real events of the Bible seamlessly. And his account of the Bible story is eye opening. While fictitious, it made me look at the people involved in a different light. I have a new understanding of what Jesus did for all of us because of it.I also read Sigmund Brouwer's THE CARPENTER'S CLOTH at the same time. There are some overlapping passages between the two books, but both are well worth a read and include material not in the other.

The title of my review best describes the impact this book has had on my soul. Sigmund Brouwer confirms that the human heart is the center of spiritual struggle and wholeness. Brouwer touches the depth of human struggle in his story told of two men in parallel frames. While the tragedy of one man is that he plumits into a distructive fight for release from torment and self distruction, unbeknown to him, he encounters in another man who is the Christ, the real meaning of human freedom and liberation. The story begins with a man who is identified much later as Simon, who is standing in his own perception of what is his own weeping chamber, his own dark burial cave, comtemplating his life and fate. The story ends with the same man standing inside the bright burial chamber of the other man in the story, the Christ. The issues surrounding his own life find resolution through his increasing involvement in the life of the other man. They become linked in a redemptive process, and identify the true weeping chamber to be the soul of man, the house where it is possible for the mind to descend into the heart. Brouwer perhaps captures a core reality in the biblical account of salvation history. The story strives for biblical and cultural accuracy. It is entertaining in that it is told with hints of the investigative or detective like approach. However, this approach does not diminish the overall purpose of the author, which I feel is to enlighten us in the dynamics of the spiritual work place of the human mind and heart, that is the soul. Congratulations!

This is an excellent book to introduce someone to the historical and spiritual significance of the Easter holiday. The time the author and his wife, singer/songwriter Cindy Morgan, spent in Jerusalem enabled him to provide a cultural perspective of which many reading the biblical account of Christ's last week would be otherwise unaware. This storytelling gently brushed away my biased view of biblical days, and allowed me to see what life was really like for Christ's followers and detractors. I highly recommend this book and Cindy Morgan's album "The Loving Kind" for those interested in learning more about the life and times of Christ. The chapters are short--usually no more than four or five pages, sometimes two or three. The subplot of the narrator is moving with its realistic view of marriage and family. Do not be surprised if you can not put it down! It may take some hunting now that it is out of print, but this book could greatly enhance its readers' spiritual lives.

A popular revival hymn declares, "There's wonder-working power in the blood of Jesus Christ." We see that blood shed and many wonders in Sigmund Brouwer's The Weeping Chamber. As the novel opens, the narrator's life is in ruins. His obsession with work and profits has killed his wife's love. His son is equally dead, in a warehouse fire that left his daughter crippled and scarred. He sails to Jerusalem for Passover, seeking he knows not what. Each night he writes to his wife begging her forgiveness and contemplates suicide. During the day, he observes the drama surrounding Jesus' crucifixion. He's drawn to the charismatic teacher, whose words and eyes offer the first glimpse of hope he's felt since the fire. He's appalled as religious and political leaders manipulate the law and the crowds to bring about Jesus' death. When he hears rumors of the resurrection, he hastens to see for himself. If it's true, Jesus may have the power even after death to heal his shattered family.Brouwer has written several children's books, westerns and thrillers (among them, Morning Star and Double Helix). In The Weeping Chamber, he uses all that narrative talent to create a fresh, fast-moving and absorbing account of Holy Week. His Jesus is funny, smart and immensely appealing. It's easy to see why hundreds loved him and the powerful feared him. This is an excellent novel to renew your own faith and perhaps kindle interest in your nearest unbeliever.