Michael Haverkamp Jr., a grant request writer for Columbus Catholic Social Services, has co-authored a novel based on Christ’s passion and resurrection with his father, Michael Haverkamp Sr.
Titled “From the Last Days of Darkness through the First Day of Light,” the book consists of 114 pages divided into nine chapters. The story begins the morning of Holy Thursday and concludes with the risen Jesus revealing Himself to His disciples in Emmaus.
“(The) book views the events of those days from the eyes and ears of St. John the Apostle as the events were actually unfolding,” Haverkamp Jr. said. “(It) tells of the fear, anxiety, confusion and, ultimately, the wonder and joy the apostles were experiencing on those four days.”
The idea for the novel came to Haverkamp Sr., of Cincinnati, five years ago. He was 72 at the time and began researching and writing the story during the peak of the COVID pandemic.
“I would love to think that it was divine inspiration,” he said, “but that might be presumptuous of me.”
Despite his excitement, Haverkamp Sr. had doubts about his ability to produce enough content for a book or make it through the publication process. He neglected to discuss it with anyone, including his wife, Mary Jo, despite getting up during the night to jot down new ideas for the story before returning to bed.
Once the first draft was finished, Haverkamp Sr. invited his son, Haverkamp Jr., to add content to the story.
“(I) had been writing (for) a religious blog (www.Catholic365.com) for several years,” Haverkamp Jr. said of his father’s motivation to recruit him.
Once both men were satisfied with a final draft, Haverkamp Sr. asked his sister, Janice Huber, to edit the story. He also requested that Josie Wallbrown, his granddaughter, a senior at Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame High School, design a cover.
In September 2024, the book was granted a nihil obstat, a certification from the Roman Catholic Church declaring that the book’s content does not oppose Catholic teaching. It was later published by Covenant Books, a Christian book publisher.
The book could be considered an easy read, providing vivid details of characters and scenes, many of which are fact-based. In the book’s footnotes, the Haverkamps noted that their physical descriptions of the Apostles are based largely on Leonardo DaVinci’s painting “The Last Supper” (1495-98).
The book’s portrayal of Jesus’ appearance came from evidence based on the Shroud of Turin, a garment believed to be the burial shroud of Jesus.
“Jesus is taller than any of the apostles,” the authors wrote from St. John the Apostle’s perspective. “Indeed, He is taller than almost any of the Jewish people in our time. He is lean and muscular, befitting his years working as a carpenter, His meager diet and His frequent fasting. His nose is straight and narrow. His hair is long, down to His shoulders, slightly curly. His beard goes down to His chin. His eyebrows are full, and His forehead is high.”
One memorable scene in the story perhaps is the depiction of the Blessed Mother standing beside the cross before Jesus died.
“She would not move. She remained there, at the foot of His cross, and as she did, His breath and hers continued to grow weaker and weaker with each passing moment. … I thought it was only going to be a short while until they were both dead,” the book recounted from St. John’s perspective. “I felt so helpless. Much as I tried to do so, I found myself unable to hold back the tears that rolled gently and uncomfortably down my cheeks.”
In addition to writing for Catholic365.com, Haverkamp Jr., who lives in Dublin with his wife and three sons, writes a blog, www.buildonrock.org.
“I’ve written commentaries on the Gospel of Luke, articles on apologetics, thoughts on papal encyclicals – anything that I think will encourage others to grow in their faith,” he said.
Haverkamp Sr., a father of five and grandfather of 12, said he is “hoping to write another book or two … (and has) started to put ideas together for a second book.”
“From the Last Days of Darkness through the First Day of Light” is sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Joseph-Beth Booksellers, based in Cincinnati. To purchase bulk orders of the book, email mfhaverkampsr@gmail.com for a discounted rate.