Mary

"An intelligent, trenchant puzzling over the details of history and culture, as well as a reclamation project . . . a tremendous accomplishment."—The Seattle Times

"At last! A real, flesh-and-blood Mary. Recent scholarship about Jesus situating him in the social and political milieu of first-century Palestine now extends to his mother, Mary. Far from robbing us of faith, this grounding of Mary's life as a brown-skinned, struggling peasant girl invites us deeper into the sheer, paradoxical mystery of faith."—Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking

"Lesley Hazleton's Mary is simultaneously intellectual, fanciful, respectful and impious . . . An original, contrary view, with something to challenge everyone who picks it up."—The Oregonian (Portland)

"Mary has the starch of real history to it . . . [Hazleton's] writing flows like wine and readers of fiction as well as history will enjoy it . . . Those who revere Mary needn't worry that this book will de-mystify one of the world's great religious figures. Instead, Hazleton adds a layer to the Mary story that actually makes her more remarkable than ever."—Santa Cruz Sentinel

"Drawing on a wide range of sources including the sometimes suppressed history of the feminine in ancient religions, Hazleton paints a convincing picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Both scholars and nonspecialists are bound to enjoy this highly readable intellectual and spiritual treat."—Harvey Cox, Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard University, and author of Common Prayers

"With all the biographies of Jesus, we finally have a study of the most important person in his life: his mother, Mary. Lesley Hazelton gives us a rich, provocative, suggestive, and enormously insightful exploration of one of the most influential yet neglected women in world history."—Susannah Heschel, Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College

"The book weaves an amazing tapestry of the threads of Maryam's skills, experiences and actions, all plausible . . . Hazleton provides fascinating details of Galilean women's common knowledge of herbs, healing and midwifery/abortion . . . She convinces readers by the end of the book to reject—or at least reconsider—the traditional image of Mary as quiet, humble and self-denying."—The Charlotte Observer

"By far the most exciting treatment of Mary I have ever encountered. Hazleton's historical and literary imagining is deeply grounded in thorough research into the conditions of life in ancient Galilee and Judea. She summons her most powerful prose for treatment of the most sensitive issues—Mary's impregnation and her experience of her son's gruesome death by crucifixion—and brings her trauma and struggles to life like no other recent writer."—Richard A. Horsley, Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and the Study of Religion, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and author of Jesus and Empire

"Although Hazleton's research is scholarly, her prose is anything but academic. Instead her words like beat like a human heart, warm and strong and full of possibility. In fact, this book may remind readers of Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, for both offer lush, you-are-there descriptions and a passionate female perspective . . . Absorbing reading . . . Difficult to put down.”—Oakland Tribune

"Here is the Mary we've been searching for, the strong, courageous, wise woman we always knew had to exist. Lesley Hazleton's riveting biography will resonate deeply with contemporary women worldwide. Powerful and empowering, inspired and inspiring, this is a book that will move you to tears."—Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth, cofounder of the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership

"With so many prayers, hopes, and legends surrounding the figure of Mary, mother of Jesus, is it even possible to come anywhere near the flesh-and-blood woman living in first-century Palestine? Hazelton not only helps readers to see who this Mary might have been but also places her in a social and religious context, shows how she absorbed the goddess myths, and does it all in language that is thoughtful, evocative, and eminently readable. 'She is thirteen. Short and wiry with dark olive skin . . . The shift hides the gentle bulge in her belly. She is unmarried and pregnant.' So begins this [account] of a woman representative of all. Hazelton, who has lived in the Middle East, calls upon her knowledge of the area and the people to help readers understand Mary's milieu. What did it mean to be pregnant and unmarried in Mary's time? Not much. Nor would talk of humans as gods or the idea of being born of virgins be considered especially surprising . . . Hazelton's musings on the Resurrection and on the meaning of Mary's virginity are dazzling to read and weighty to ponder."—Ilene Cooper, Booklist (starred review)

"Enthralling. Hazleton, who spent 13 years living in and reporting from Jerusalem, has clearly done her scholarly homework, displaying a solid knowledge of Jewish history, ancient religions, and the various Christian sectarian movements that sprang up after Jesus' death. She also knows how to write a page-turner, using vivid vocabulary and attention to detail to keep the audience on edge. Her Jesus is akin to the peasant agitator described by many contemporary liberal biblical scholars, and her Mary is a healer, a villager whose birthright is Jewish resistance against Roman rule . . . [This book] should appeal to those tantalized and often frustrated by the great gaps of biographical detail in the New Testament accounts."—Publishers Weekly

"A knowledgeable journalist profiles history's most renowned Jewish mother, tracing a life barely touched upon in the gospels . . . [The book's] facts, however, remain fascinating . . . This Mary isn't the blue-robed icon painted by Fra Angelico or the young mother carved by Michelangelo, but throughout it all, Maryam remains full of grace. Sure to kick up some biblical dust: a graphic, instructional story."—Kirkus Reviews