I, Peter

This novel is based on the Bible's account of Peter, the apostle. It is written in autobiographical form, as if written by Peter himself, and can be enjoyed by teens through adults. In the novel, Peter reflects on his life from a dungeon cell as he anticipates his imminent execution. Nearly everyone is familiar with Peter's three denials, but the author noticed that many other aspects of Peter's life also occurred in threes, including his three names, three "Do you love me?" questions from Jesus, three major writings, and three nails. The novel highlights Peter's relationship with the Master (Jesus Christ), from their first meeting through Peter's denials, his life as an evangelist after Christ's ascension, and right up to his death on a cross. A major theme of the book is forgiveness, and the author describes how Peter was able to move on from his three denials to become a strong leader of the young Christian church. This book can be considered Christian historical fiction, with some embellishment of course, but without straying too far from or changing the facts recorded in the Bible. It can also serve as a commentary on the books of the Bible with which Peter was involved. Throughout the book are prayers of Peter as he reflects on his life and desires to be bold for Christ at his death. The author, Dr. John M. Cimbala, is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University. He has co-authored several textbooks, including a popular Fluid Mechanics textbook that is used around the world and has been translated into several languages. This book about Peter is his second novel; his first one was a similar Christian historical fiction autobiographical novel about the first man, Adam.