Hey, hey, hey, welcome to the first Crew review of the year! I am thrilled that the girls and I have had the opportunity to review another brilliant selection from Heirloom Audio. This company, which is a favorite of ours, provided us with a copy of For The Temple , which is a part of their, The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty - Live The Adventure! audio theater series. As if that weren't enough, we were also sent a digital study guide to accompany the story. My love of audio books was kindled as a child. I remember listening to classic stories and fairy tales on record, when albums were around for the first time, lol. My imagination ran freely, as I imagined what the characters looked like, as well as the settings, and details. As an adult, I love audio books, and audio theater specifically, because I can accomplish certain tasks that might otherwise be a drudgery, like cleaning, while I listen. Now then, pull up a comfy seat while I tell you about this fantastic drama. I'll begin with the story itself, and then the study guide.
I haven't had the pleasure of listening to all of the stories in this collection, but what I have heard has created some favorite voices for me. Brian Blessed returns as G.A. Henty, lending his deep, booming vocals as the beloved narrator. The scene opens, as it does in the other stories, with Henty, or Mr. George as he is called. He is sitting in a café, when a minor disruption causes him to engage with one Peter Brockhaus. Peter quickly surmises that Henty is working on a story, and persuades him to tell him about it. As he does, the beautiful music begins, and the audience is transported back in time somewhere around 70 A.D.. Rome occupies the land, but there are those actively resisting.
John is a vintner's son. He is seeking a simple life, which is to farm like his father, producing the best grapes in Israel. He is to marry a young girl, Mary, who has lived with his family since her parents died. The betrothal of John and Mary had been set from the time they were very young. At this part of the story, it's easy to see a more immature Mary. She tends to act first and think later. This gets her, and John in trouble early on, as she gets them both stranded on a boat, in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, as a nasty storm approaches. They are rescued by a passing merchant boat, and meet a well known teacher, Josephus. He is impressed by the composure that John displays in the crisis, and quickly wants to recruit him as a resisting soldier. So the adventure begins.
John quickly rises to the top, proving himself to be not only an effective leader, but an inspiration and hero to Israel. His family is stunned to learn that he is the one that the nation speaks of with such adoration, yet he stays humble and grounded.
Interestingly, For The Temple presents both a perspective from the Jews, as well as the Romans. The drama provides a glimpse into the horrors of war, and the humanity on both sides, as each seeks to win their cause.The two sides meet unexpectedly through an encounter, or an outright physical struggle really, between John, a Jew, and Titus, a Roman. John has an opportunity to kill Titus, but shows him mercy. In return, Titus, who has a new found respect for John's character and abilities, gives him his signet ring, and pledges an oath to do all that he can to prevent the destruction of the Jew's temple. The two part, and John decides to rest in a remote village. He discovers that they are followers of The Way, and teach the ways of Jesus. He finds their testimony incredible, but listens, and stays for a time.
Unfortunately, if you are familiar with history, you already know that the temple is destroyed. But, it doesn't happen at the hand of Titus, as John witnesses, and the two retain their respect for each other. In fact, John declares that it was God's judgment that brought down the temple.
The drama has an ending that should make everyone smile. John and Mary get their happily ever after, and there is the suggestion that they are about to have their lives turned upside down in the best way possible, as John mentions that he wants to investigate more of the teachings of The Way. I really love the manner in which Heirloom Audio always brings the salvation through Christ into the story.
I think that this is (so far) my favorite audio drama from this company. I have loved every selection, but something about this particular one just gets me. It is suitable for ages 6 to adults. There are battle scenes, but they are not too graphic for younger listeners. We listened to the story a couple of times. Since we drive longer distances frequently, the car was the first natural choice. I love the love story between John and Mary, and the maturity that is developed as the story moves along. This is an interesting way to present history, as it provided personalities within the two opposing sides. You can see the complexities of war, the impossible and tragic decisions that need to be made in the midst of it. Then, to have characters from each side see the human nature in their "enemies" adds another layer.
My 13 year old is pretty much always ready to enjoy an audio story with me. She was an easy sell on this title, especially seeing as the gore facto was low. Now, my 14 year old on the other hand, is a tougher one. She has mentioned that she likes them, but gets lost when the plot goes too quickly. That was the perfect segue for me to pull out...the Study Guide! It's called a guide, but it looks more to me like a book. It is packed. I mentioned that it is a digital guide, so yes, you can print it out. You could also view it on your laptop. I'm the kind of person that likes a physical copy, so I did print it. It will consume most of your ink cartridge, if you print out the last few pages, which are full color, so know that. For me, it was worth it.
The guide can turn this from a simple listening experience (and there's nothing wrong with that), to a mini class and Bible study. It's really good. It can be used within the listening range of 6 and up. For the littles, use it as a guide to talk through the story, its plot, and applications. Olders can also use it as an oral discussion, or it can be taken further with writing out the questions, studying vocabulary words, searching for the locations on a map, and researching those areas. Every age will benefit from the many Bible verses provided, and the way that the guide asks how it can be applied in our lives. Regardless of who is listening, and using this guide, it will be a great help in following the storyline. There is a lot of material in here, so we will listen to the story again at a slower pace, and use the Study Guide a lot more thoroughly.
So, what do we think? This is easy, love it! I'm happy to have this in our collection. It is a rich resource, that not only entertains, but teaches. This is a great resource for anyone, children, adults, students, teachers. It spans across the ages. Buy it for school or personal use. I recommend this company, and this audio drama, enthusiastically. Why not visit their website today?
