Beneath the tamarisk tree

I believe that Beneath the tamarisk tree may be the most profound book which I have ever read.  It begins as Dismas wakes up in heaven.  The Bible doesn't tell us anything about his life, or even his name.  But of course we know the name of the Penitent Thief from other sources.  However this fictional account is entirely consistent with what the Bible tells us about God's character.

If you want to learn about God's love, and the way He understands us and what has gone on in our lives, then this book is for you.  It portrays the enormity of God's forgiveness in a unique way.  I believe that Beneath the tamarisk tree will profoundly affect any reader, from those with no faith to the most mature Christian.  It will impact those whose lives have been blighted by circumstances, and those who have been more privileged.

I won't spoil the story for you.  But to whet your appetite, here's how it starts:

Consciousness was slowly returning to him, sense by sense.  His eyes were still closed.  He felt confused but safe, and he could tell he was lying down, so warm, comfortable and relaxed.  Then he recalled the Rabbi’s words from just a few moments before and they echoed loudly in his mind.
There was the softest movement in the air, just a wafting across his face as if someone had quietly walked by.  He began to feel the movement of his hair and the folds in his clothes catching the breeze.  The air surrounding him was swirling back and forth across his body like the loveliest of summer breezes.  Comforting and relaxing, initiating no hurry in him to move.
It felt safe and calm around him.  He was still hearing the words of that promise that the holy man had made.
He opened one eye, just a little, like a young child pretending to be asleep.  Peeking out through the smallest of gaps between his eyelids, he was in awe at the sight in front of him.  The source of this refreshing breeze, rousing him from his unconsciousness, was like a vision from a dream .....

Rob Seabrook writes in such a way that we seem to move seamlessly between the past life of Dismas, and his new reality in heaven:

..... ‘Al-Tir-Ah’, ‘Al-Tir-Ah’, ‘Al-Tir-Ah’.  He knew those words.  ‘Do not fear.’  ‘Do not fear.’  ‘Do not fear.’  The words were carried on the air currents with every sequence, calming the fear that was threatening to consume him.  He took a deep breath.  Any instinct to flee was subdued.
He needed to gather his thoughts out of this confusion.  Where am I?  What has happened to me?  He was not used to being out in the open like this.  His impulse should be to escape and hide.  That is what he had been doing his whole life.

The tamarisk tree refers back to the tree which Abraham planted in Genesis 21: 32 - 34.  It is a symbol of peace and of covenant.  Even in his earthly life, Dismas had fleetingly noticed its beauty.  But it's in heaven that he encounters all that is symbolises.

Rob Seabrook and his wife are foster carers.  In that role they are very aware of the impact that trauma has on children.  But they have also discovered that God loves to give second chances.  Beneath the tamarisk tree is Rob's first novel, and I hope that it won't be his last.