THE FIRST CHRISTMAS: A STORY OF NEW BEGINNINGS by Stephen Mitchell opens with the innkeeper’s story of Mary and Joseph trying to find room at his inn. Something tells the innkeeper he needs to find them a space to stay, so he offers them a stable behind the Inn. The stable only houses one ox, who continues the story and tells about the birth of Jesus during the quiet of the night. The shepherds keep the story going with their tale of the angels visiting them and telling them to go to Bethlehem to see this baby.

Between each of these and other characters’ stories, the author places what he calls an Interlude, explaining how his story is slightly embellished or enhanced from the original, scant details recorded in the Books of Matthew and Luke in the Bible. Mary continues the story with a lengthy and imaginative description of all the things that led up to this point that she is pondering in her heart. Joseph then tells his story and the struggles he has faced in a seemingly impossible situation, as he wrestles with his feelings for Mary.

Mr. Mitchell continues with the Wise Men’s story, giving us a long history on them and then bringing them to the stable as “seers” who spend a few quiet moments “seeing” the entire life of Jesus unfold before them, both real and imagined. The donkey has the last word … oh yes, she reminds us that donkeys do indeed speak, as she regales us with the story of Balaam.

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS: A STORY OF NEW BEGINNINGS by Stephen Mitchell is a charming fictional mixture of the Biblical story of the Nativity, along with folklore and other literary works. Mr. Mitchell takes a lot of liberties in imagining delightful conversations between humans and angels and in supposing that animals can speak and tell their stories. He brings in many Old Testament prophecies and New Testament scriptures, as well as Jewish law in his character’s ruminations. He uses the works of several artists' depictions to enhance our imaginations of the Nativity story, to get us to think about how our own lives measure up. In the end, Mr. Mitchell tells us that Christmas isn’t just about what happened inside the stable, but what happens inside each of us that counts.