William Jefferson’s first novel, Messages from Estillyen, is a highly allegorical tale set beyond the Storied Sea on the distant isle of named Estillyen. As Jefferson puts it, “Estillyen is equally far from everywhere, but mystically near.”
BlueInk Review gave Messages from Estillyen a stared review, saying:
The author’s writing is skilled, poetic, and reminiscent of the classical period. This is a book to savor, not to gulp; the pace is leisurely. The style is allegorical in part, reminiscent of John Bunyan and C.S. Lewis. The “readings” hearken to Donne and Milton as well.
Clarion Review followed suit:
The author weaves the threads of his story deftly and often poetically, shaping phrases with a lilting rhythm that evokes the cadences of storytellers of old . . .
Jefferson takes readers on rich allegorical journeys that skillfully embrace modern themes along the way. His latest novel, Presence, the Play, addresses the need of personal presence in a world awash in virtual, mediated matter.
Presence, the Play traces the journey of the main character, Script, to hell and back, as he recites Chaucer and Dante. The work is vibrantly Tolkienesque with C.S. Lewis acuity.
In many respects, Jefferson’s 2018 novel, Divine Choreography of Redemption, sets the stage for Presence, the Play. While not bound by space and time, Jefferson’s work is not divorced from human worth, want, and reality.
Bill Jefferson writes from a Civil War-era cottage in the rural Ozarks and is the owner of Storybook Barn. The original 1880s all-occasion venue welcomes guests from near and far. Bill Jefferson holds an MTh in Theology and Media from the University of Edinburgh and an MA in Communication from the Wheaton Graduate School.