Mary: A Flesh-and-Blood Biography of the Virgin Mother (Hardcover)

by Lesley Hazleton (Author) "Maryam wakes with the rustle of the pre-dawn breeze, sharp and cold..." (more)
Key Phrases: divine paternity, infancy gospels, peasant villagers, Middle East, New Testament, Herod the Great (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
This unusual biography blends imagination and fact in an exquisitely told tale about the most reveled and admired woman of Christianity. Hazleton has been criticized for blurring the lines between research and fiction. (It's true--she does.) Nonetheless, she weaves an outstanding interpretation of this Palestinian girl, who probably went by the name of Maryam and gave birth to "the son of God" at the age of 13. At times Hazleton's style seems similar to that of Anita Diamant in The Red Tent-—fully imagining the everyday feminine details of biblical women: "Maryam learned early about childbirth. Since she was young, her grandmother has taken her along whenever there's a delivery. The old woman is in her fifties, but as alert and sharp as any shepherd girl; like all village wise women, she seems to defy age. Her name? The same as the midwife of apocryphal legend: Salome." Hazleton goes on to depict Maryam as an astute apprentice, mixing herbs and learning the craft of healing and midwifery from her legendary grandmother. Hazleton assumes that Maryam was a gifted faith healer and member of a resistance movement against King Herod--gifts and values that were obviously passed onto her son. She also offers a compelling discussion into the identity of Joseph, even questioning his existence. Hazleton sees him as a vague father-figure for Mary, more so than a father to Jesus. The main reason he exists in the Bible, she speculates, is to establish Jesus as a descendent of Kind David. Though purists and fundamentalists may cry blasphemy, many modern readers will find this a refreshingly feminine and respectful life study of a cherished woman, mother and icon. --Gail Hudson

From Booklist
*Starred Review* 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 "biography" 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. At times, Hazelton makes readily acknowledged speculative leaps--e.g., Mary as a village healer who passes along her knowledge to her son--and the text skims lightly over a few thorny points, including the fact that Jesus' tone in the Bible is often harsh when speaking to his mother or about his family. But Hazelton's musings on the Resurrection and on the meaning of Mary's virginity are dazzling to read and weighty to ponder. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1st edition (March 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582342369
• ISBN-13: 978-1582342368
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #916,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you so much..., February 20, 2004

By	Olivier D'hose (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In a time when we tend to be too literal in the interpretations of scriptures and have a very Manichean approach to contemporary problems, Hazleton's book is a breath of fresh air. Captivating, her biography of the 'historical' Mary is bringing life to a shadow, largely ignored by the, until very recently, male-ruled Christian 'aristocracy'. The power of a woman, a mother is given back to a character who without doubt is at the starting point of a tsunami shaping Europe and (alas) the rest of the world for centuries after her time.

The depth of Hazleton's research manages to depict a vivid and credible picture of a woman's life in Palestine two millenniums ago. The book masterfully realizes the difficult balancing act of writing a credible and highly readable historical account without destroying the mystery of the legend.

Thank you so much Lesley...

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Mary Revealed, April 3, 2004

By	lrosen "broadcaster" (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Who was she? That elusive, light-skinned blonde icon in a long blue scarf, idealized on alters, in alcoves and adorning creches throughout the Christian culture? No. This deeply moving and powerful book will bring you the real Mary, a young Palestinian woman with the "flesh-and-blood" life issues of a teenage pegnancy and the murder of a son. It will bring you to tears, to revelations and to a human understanding of what has become a question of this decade. The opening, intervening and closing pages of this scholarly account of Mary, "Mother of God," carried me to tears. Lesley Hazelton's inspirational treatment of the life of Jesus' mother does not threaten the devout, only strengthens belief and understanding. A remarkable read for the history, the emotion, the theology. Besides, the writing is exquisite! Don't miss this one.

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Provoking thought about Mary, March 30, 2004

By	M. C. Finan (La Mirada, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hazleton has structured her biography of Mary in three parts that give her a chance to explore the times that Mary lived in, her virginity and the women with whom she may have been allied. "May' is the operative word here, particularly in the last two sections. Hazleton proposes many different ideas about how Mary lived and what her life was like. Some she rejects with counter arguments and others she develops into full blown assumptions e.g. Mary had deep knowledge of herbs and healing (along with many women of her day).
Hazleton lived in Jerusalem for 13 years and it shows in her mastery of detail. Occasionally she compares situations with present day events. The reader may find these illuminating or distracting.
Her third section ranges from the synoptic gospels to the gnostic writings to the wisdom literature. A stunning synthesis.
Hazleton's ideas are "provocative", they provoke thought about what Mary's Jewish life was like as the mother of a radical son. It is to her credit that Hazleton does not veer into discussing the son at the expense of the mother.