Her storytelling draws vividly on the colorful history and landscape of the Holy Land. She weaves in a cast of lively characters whose experiences and points of view are not usually represented: a war-hardened soldier at Herod's feast, a grumpy shepherd, Emperor Tiberius himself. Together they proclaim the human drama and divine mystery of the events of Christ's life.
Selma Lagerlof (1858-1940) was born in Varmland, Sweden. She was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. As a child, she spent hours listening to stories told by her grandmother. Following an inspirational visit to the Holy Land, in 1904 she published Christ Legends, her most well-known book, which has been loved by generations of children.