Jesus's mother speaks
Written: Jan 12 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautifully written, emotional and intense. Mary is so alive and lovely in this book.
Cons: The book was short and moved quickly and I did not want it to end!
The Bottom Line: Melody Carlson is brilliant. She weaves a story of remembrance and present life that is beautiful and poetic. How brave to write this book from the perspective of Jesus's mother!
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| cshell76's Full Review: Three Days: A Mother's Story Books |
If you have ever wondered what Mary, the mother of Jesus, was thinking and doing during the three days between Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection, you will be as thrilled as I was with this book by Melody Carlson.
As "Three Days" begins, we find Mary reminiscing about her younger years and her love of gardening. The story continues as Mary remembers an angel appearing to her at age fifteen to announce that God had chosen her to bear His Son on earth. She recalls her mother's shock and disbelief, even shame, when Mary tells her the news. Her mother even sends her on a trip to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who recognizes immediately that Mary's story is true, because Elizabeth in her old age she is pregnant also - with a child who will be knows as John the Baptist. Mary relives the moment when Joseph finds out she is pregnant and breaks off their engagement, then returns to her after hearing his own message from God and wants to marry her even sooner than they had planned.
The reader soon learns that Jesus Christ has already been crucified and buried. We are afforded a glimpse of the journey of Jesus's mother as she grieves and waits. She remembers Jesus as an infant, a toddler, then as a child playing with friends and learning Joseph's carpentry business. But in the midst of these pleasant memories, the horrifying present floods back. Her son is still dead. She is in shock. She knows he was buried because she was there.
She is surrounded by other people who miss Jesus desperately - Mary of Magdala, sisters Mary and Martha, Simon Peter, Thomas, and, of course, John, who continues to remind Jesus's disciples and friends what the Lord promised. There are discussions about His miracles and His teaching and His return. The hours pass slowly for the men and women who knew and loved Jesus. But for the reader, before you know it, it is the third and most exciting day of all.
As Carlson writes her first person narrative as Mary, she weaves actual Bible text and historical events into her fictional account. The story moves along in conjunction with the timing of the accounts of Jesus in the Gospels.
The transition between Mary's memories of the past and her account of the present flows beautifully, seamlessly.
The Bible does not detail Mary's life after she give birth to Jesus. In fact, she is rarely mentioned. Much is left to our imagination as to what kind of person she was. This book is lovely because Carlson invites us to experience Mary's humanity. Mary becomes a person and not just a vessel for the Son of God. She is also not pictured as a religious icon. She does not glow or wear a halo. Instead she is the humble daughter of peasants who is sometimes hopeful and sometimes in despair. She is sometimes a devout followers of Christ and sometimes simply a mother who loves her son. The emotion and tension is palpable on every page.
I do not usually prefer books written in first person, however this book would not be as powerful any other way. Carlson captured Mary's joy and sorrow, fear and wonder so well that I could almost close my eyes and hear Mary speaking the words. Though it is fiction, "Three Days" presents a believable account of Mary's thoughts, feelings, and actions during her lifetime, especially during those three long days when she waited for her son to return. She could have written many more pages and still held me captive. This is a journey worth taking.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cshell76
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Member: Shelley Kirkpatrick
Location: Bellefontaine, OH
Reviews written: 66
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I love my amazing husband, my four cats, reading and music!
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