7The stories in this book are based on nine encounters people had with Jesus, as described in the Gospels; as well as a sketch portraying Jesus' attitude to children. The author has woven an imagined narrative around each of the characters to give as accurate a picture as possible of their way of life and practice of religion in first century A.D. Israel; to help the reader appreciate how their lifestyle, disabilities and illnesses would have affected them and the difference it must have made when they experienced Jesus' love and compassion.In the actual meeting with Jesus, the author has kept as closely as possible to the original narrative of the Gospel writers.The two poems at the end are a further example of the author's perception of the nature of Jesus' love and compassion for mankind. Christine Ginsbury grew up in a Christian environment and is the daughter of a pastor. However, having studied Theology at a liberal university, she lost her way spiritually until she experienced an epiphany when she was thirty-five that caused her to recommit her life to Christ. It is her love for Jesus and his great compassion for everyone, as exemplified in the Gospel miracles, that inspired her to write this book. She retired from teaching Special Needs in 2011 and now lives in Surrey with her husband, David, and their two dogs, Laycie and Skip.