Think you know the story of Jesus? Think again! The life and times of history's most famous and influential character is retold, loosely following the narrative accounts of the canonical and so-called gnostic gospels but also including some original stories of Jesus as a child and young man. Jesus always knew that God had a special plan and purpose for his life. But when God does not reveal that plan, Jesus must set out on a quest to discover it for himself. The new tales and details of Jesus' life--straight from the imagination of the author--are based on how things might have happened but probably didn't. Nevertheless, they provide for some interesting and plausible episodes that are sometimes comical and quirky, sometimes tragic and heartbreaking. RETOLD introduces new characters to the story of Jesus: an insane cave-dwelling hermit, a traveling pimp, a Chinese emperor, and an Indian monk, to name a few. The roles and personalities of the more traditional characters such as Peter, Mary Magdalene, Judas Iscariot, and Herod are greatly expanded. Humor, betrayal, murder, sex, and intrigue all come into play in this new and unique telling of an ancient and familiar tale.