The Runaway (The Victor, UK)
From SPARK
One-sentence summary
Older children's story of revenge and forgiveness, evil and God's grace.
Description
Patricia St. John is the author of this story for teens and young adults. It is the story of a first-century Phoenician boy named Philo.
Evil hangs over Philo's family because his older sister is possessed by an evil spirit. He hears about a prophet from Nazareth. This man has healed the sick and raised the dead. Philo wonders if his sister can be helped. Philo's father dies and then he is cheated out of his inheritance. Philo runs away from home because of his unhappy situation. He continues to hear more about Jesus and his miracles. Finally he repents of the wrong things he has done and chooses to follow Jesus.
Older children, teens, and young adults will be able to identify with Philo as he struggles with emotions we all experience. Philo's desire for revenge ends in forgiveness. The sickness that brings evil to his home ends in healing. Finally Philo's fear of evil is overcome by the grace of God.
Seeing how God brings good from evil will encourage older children to understand that God is powerful and can bring good from any evil.
Considerations
- This story traces the footsteps of Jesus to the places he walked and the people he touched.
- The original publishers are Scripture Union in the United Kingdom. The original title was The Victor. The book has been reprinted ten times since it was published in 1983.
- The tenth edition was printed in 2002. The tenth edition has 174 pages.
- A Moody Press Edition was printed in 1985. It has larger print and is easier to read.
- The Moody edition is called The Runaway. It has 190 pages. It is the same book.
- Both books have twenty-one chapters. Most chapters are short.
- This book does not have any illustrations.
- The book deals quite a bit with evil spirits. This might be a problem in some cultures. The book does show that Jesus has power even over evil spirits.
- The author describes the places in the story from personal experience. She had visited and spent time in each of the places mentioned. Included are descriptions of the ancient city of Tyre in Phoenicia. The Sea of Galilee is clearly described along with its surrounding towns. Jerusalem during the lifetime of Jesus is also described.
- These descriptions make the book very realistic and exciting.
- It is a good book for young teens and young adults.
Limitations
Guidelines for Use
- This book would be a good story to have on audio cassette or CD.
- It would also be a good story to tell via radio.
Where to Obtain
Link to Producer or Source Organization
Cost
The cost of book in April 2006 is 4.99 (British Pounds)
Producer/Owners
Author/Artist/Producer
Current copyright owner
Other Information
Although it was the Moody Press edition that was read for the review, I believe that Scripture Union publishing may hold the copyright under the title, The Victor. If you are interested in translating this story into a vernacular language please contact Scripture Union. Try to arrange an agreement for use with the Creative Commons License.
