Why I write about St Luke!

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Why all this concentration on an evangelist who lived in the first century? Well - I find that when an author finds a personality in history whose life story has a lot of unknown quantities, or gaps, it is possible to fill those gaps with a number of fascinating possibilities and creative conjectures.

St Luke's life was such a creative opportunity: a number of biblical commentators and Byzantine biographers have come to no definite conclusions about aspects of this important reporter of the New Testament. So it was possible to write a novel - set in modern times, with a lot of action and also some romance - that took St Luke as its pivotal mystery.
See the painting to the right? In it are contained the vital aspects on which my novel According to Luke is built.There is the alchemist's flask, which denotes the persona of a physician; the calf, symbol of Luke the Evangelist, and a case of brushes, which indicate the occupations of artist and scibe.

But more importantly, to the observant viewer, pictures like this contain secret symbolism, such as the number of Vs, both upright and inverted. They are hidden everywhere: the angles of the writing desk, the floor tiles, the seat, the folds of fabric... there are Vs everywhere. And they mean something. In my novel, I have put an interesting interpretation of these Vs - and other symbols - that cause a huge controversy and upset, not only among priests and bishops, but also among ordinary people, who find themselves caught up in a chase that takes them across Europe and into the lands mentioned in the scriptures.

According to Luke takes readers from Italy and Malta to Damascus, in Syria, where the great climax of the novel takes place. Going on this journey could be one of the most exhilarating reading experiences some readers ever take.

For lots more information like this, visit Rosanne Dingli's website!