About the Book

• ASIN ‏: ‎ B0FXNQKBN4
• Publication date : ‎ November 18, 2025
• Print length‏ : ‎ 142 pages

Inspired by Gerrit van Honthorst’s masterpiece, The Adoration of the Child, and the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Italy, 1620.

Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo.

Angelo knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence. When he loses his master, his livelihood is shaken. Tozzo’s plunder is hidden in a safe place, but what will happen if someone comes after Angelo to get their hands on the stolen relics? More than that, he feels threatened by words he’s heard too many times; that he’ll always remain unforgiven and doomed.

One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about the hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them.

With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy—an artistic and audacious tale that crosses paths with art collector Vincenzo Giustiniani and the powerful Medici family.

Using invisible threads, Heidi Eljarbo weaves together her fictional stories with historical figures and real events. The Relic Keeper is similar in tone to books by Geraldine Brooks, Tracy Chevalier, Deborah Swift, and Laura Morelli.

My Thoughts

I raced through the story of young Angelo, a child of the streets who is forced to make his living by stealing relics from churches. I knew that somehow the author would teach a lesson and have a happy ending for this unfortunate young boy. I was entranced by the story of Angelo’s life, how he was forced to live and how he got to know Christ as His Savior. This is a story of hope, unconditional love, a story of self-discovery and finding God’s purpose in your life. Included within the pages of this poetic and beautiful story are historical figures like a Marquess and an artist from the 1600’s. The description of the painting that so touches Angelo was so realistic and detailed that I could picture it in my mind and enjoyed the education that I got about the artist’s techniques with light. Angelo’s story was heart-tugging at times but ever hopeful as he goes on a quest to improve his lot in life by leaving behind thievery and attaching himself to the local parish priest, Padre Benedetto. The Padre is loving and generous, even protecting Angelo from bad actors who want to use him on the streets again. Padre was not just a hero to Angelo, but he was also the man who showed him a new way to live and gave him hope for getting an education and having a better future. Angelo’s desire to find his birth mother seemed doomed to failure since he never met her and doesn’t even know what she looks like. The author did a masterful job of weaving all of the loose threads of the tapestry of this story together in the end, making one magnificent and brilliantly written story of hope, redemption, second chances, sacrifice and love. There are so many good things about this book, especially the fact that it was completely absorbing and a fast-paced read that was uplifting in the messages and encouraging in the hope-filled ending. I sincerely appreciate the author’s notes at the end that informed me that Honthorst was a real artist who actually painted the canvas so painstakingly and wonderfully described in the book. When I read that, I immediately looked up an image of the painting online and fell in love with the light in the painting and the importance of that light. It seems that light was a theme of this novel too, as Angelo walked from darkness into the light, after years of thinking that all would always be dark. This is one of the best books that I have read that is a testimony to helping others and being a light in someone else’s darkness. I loved every minute that I spent with this book and think it would make a wonderful gift to yourself or for someone special in your life who needs to read about hope and the salvation story, told in a way that is enjoyable and believable, with memorable characters that will jump off the page right into your heart.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

HEIDI ELJARBO grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.

Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter.

Heidi’s favorites are her family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical. Website: https://www.heidieljarbo.com/

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