The Childhood of Jesus

by J. M. Coetzee

First published 2013

After a perilous sea voyage, a young boy named David arrives in a foreign country with his newfound guardian, Simón. Stripped of their past identities, they must forge a path in this bewildering new world. Simón is determined to locate David's missing mother, though the boy himself has no memory of her. As the pair navigate the bureaucracy and customs of their adopted home, an extraordinary child emerges - one with an uncanny wisdom that defies his years. A profound bond develops between David and Simón, leading them on an odyssey of self-discovery that questions the nature of family, identity, and destiny.

Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama

Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family

288 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group

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