Book Review - "The Treasure with A Face" by Janeen Zaio

We live in a time and culture where many children give little or no thought to the loving Lord who lives physically among us. Most of them spend a good portion of their free time glued to some type of screen - a tablet, a phone, or a television. For hours they watch or play bizarre and often violent videos and games. These diversions never provide any lasting satisfaction. 

Author Janeen Zaio wants them to put down their screens, pick up a copy of her book, The Treasure Within a Face, and accompany twelve year-old Eli on a fascinating, suspenseful and life changing quest to find the Treasure of all treasures.

This captivating adventure tale takes us back to the time of Jesus in a small village some distance from Jerusalem. There we meet Eli, who with his mother, lives with his uncle Sham - an irascible, difficult and unappreciative man. Eli and his friend Abe dream of leaving this tiny town in search of the lost Arc of the Covenant.  When Uncle Sham asks Eli to deliver a mirror to a customer in Jerusalem, Eli jumps at the chance. But he has to go alone. Abe was not able to accompany his friend.

This book will keep any child’s interest. It is a page turner - full of adventure, interesting characters, danger, disappointment, humor, suspense and unexpected twists and turns as young Eli perseveres in the face of unimaginable obstacles placed in his path.

Whom he met and what he found far exceeded any treasure this young child could have ever imagined at the outset of his journey. While this book is fiction, the Treasure Eli found is not. It is the author’s hope that all who read this book will discover or re-discover the same sense of awe and amazement little Eli did when he first stepped into God’s Presence.

More than ever our children need to believe in and treasure the real physical presence of our Lord (Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity) in the Sacred Eucharist hidden in the tabernacles of His Churches and placed on their tongues.

You can help Janeen succeed in her effort by putting a copy of The Treasure With A Face into the hands of every adolescent and young teen (and even seventy-three year old book reviewers) you know. I have ordered a copy for my granddaughter. You can get your copy here.

I will be forever blessed for having been privileged to receive an advance review copy of this gem.