This is a fictional look at Mary Magdalene's life, but does a great job of filling in what her life could have been like, the devastation her life was in, and the saving love and power of Jesus, walking through all her misunderstandings of who He is, until she began to see and understand who He really is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. When I read Christian fiction, I keep in mind what the Bible has said about the subject of the fiction I am reading. Ellen Gunderson Traylor keeps the Bible in mind when she writes her books. She brought Mary Magdalene into my reading room in a very real manner. It is not only enjoyable to read this book, but you come away from the book feeling that you not only know Mary Magdalene better, you can actually feel the thankfulness that she has for God's grace. Mrs. Traylor has taken one of the most talked about people in the Bible and brought her into your living room. I had to really ration the time that I spent reading this book because I did not want to put it down. I wanted to read it from cover to cover in one sitting. Too bad that I had work that I had to do because I would have not put this book down. If you enjoy Christian fiction, I would heartily recommend this book!

It is 1849 and Mary Mclean and her family are fresh off the boat from Ireland. Mary is excited to hear about stories and traditions from Ireland that are told by other members of the Irish community where she lives. One of the things she gets told about is the St. Patrick's Day parade. Mary is excited about this and all the stuff that surrounding it. More than anything, she wants to be part of it so she asks Mr. Finnegan, a local shop owner, if she can ride on his cart in the parade with him. Mr. Finnegan agrees but only if Mary McLean can find a perfect shamrock. This is an almost impossible task because it is winter. Mary searches and searches and she can't find one. She finally stumbles across a leprechaun who says he'll give her one later. Months later, he is back the day before St. Patrick's Day. Mary captures him and asks for the promised shamrock. The leprechaun says he lost it and tricks Mary into turning away. Mary goes home dejected. Her father comes home with a surprise! He found a shamrock for her and Mary is able to be in the parade. She's very happy.
This book is priceless. The artwork is fabulous and reminiscent of Norman Rockwell. The artwork is very engaging. Each page is laid out exactly the same. On the left side, there is the text. On the right side, there is a color illustration. The moral of the story seems to be that good things do happen to good people. This is a wonderful theme. It also seems to have a theme of good things happen to those who wait. This is something important to instill in children because so often they want things right now this very instant. The story line is entertaining and easy to follow. It is a wonderful book to read.

This is a story of a little girl who searches for a four leaf clover so she can be in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The fantasy and excitement of a leprechaun appeals to my students. It lends very nicely to creative writing in the classroom. This is a must, especially for primary teachers.

MY BOOK IS ABOUT: The feminine aspect of God as personified by Mary is built into the design of every human psyche.

This book is about how we have always venerated not the literal Mary but the feminine dimension of the divine that she represents and enriches. Using the titles of the Litany of Loreto-including prayers for each- with depth and reverence, this book opens a dialogue about Mary. We see her as a personification of the virtues and destiny of all of us, including the so far unexplored dark side. The book is written with respect for Catholic tradition and it helps us expand our spirituality and update our view of religion in general. (davericho.com)

"What a brilliant confluence of images and energies! David Richo has made a very useful set of connections between Mary and the deepest archetypes of the human psyche. This is how theology and psychology should come together. Good scholarship that could lead to good prayer." -Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M.. Franciscan priest and writer

I was given a copy of this book by the author and asked to read it and comment on it. As a former Catholic Priest and psychotherapist, I must agree with Richard Roar" This is how theology and psychology should come together". I found myself captivated by this scholarly,yet understandable masterpiece. This is an inspirational book and should be necessary reading for every seminary and household regardless of your religion.David's expose on archetypes and methaphore reaches to the depths of one's very essence, challenging and clarifying one's beliefs and illustrating to the reader exactly how to pray from your heart and not just with words. It has inspired me to write a book on 150 Psalms, Poems, Letters, Prayers and Meditations for the Millenium. I challenge you to become inspired and search the Mary Within you. If you haven't read Mary Within, you must! You won't be able to put it down. Good reading!

Carolyn Kramlich creates a wonderful tapestry which brings the story of Christ's birth alive to anyone. The concept is applicable to today in that we all need to pass on those things that are dear to our hearts, mainly our faith. My church had a short drama wherein a mother read this story to her child on Christmas Eve. It brought tears to everyone's eyes because this same love that Mary felt for her Son is the same emotion that Christians feel for their Savior. After having personally met the author myself, I must say that her faith and love show through in her writing. I highly recommend this book! (It's a great Christmas present for anyone with children!)

This is a wonderful story of Jesus that can be read to children. It describes, in terms that are familiar to them, the story of Christ's birth and his life. The relationship between Mary and her granddaughter Sarah is one that most mothers and grandmothers can appreciate. Most mothers have a tresure box--even if it is only a picture album. Everyone has past memories that are cherished. Certain to become a classic.

Tomie dePaola has done it again! Here is a beautifully written and illustrated children's book about a religious subject that is truly worth owning. The colorful artwork will interest younger children, and interesting facts and stories about the Blessed Mother will intrigue and excite older readers. DePaola treats his subject respectfully, but without excessive sentimentallity. The early style of the artwork and the inclusion of part of an antiphon in each section of the book ties "Mary, Mother of Jesus" to the long and honorable European Marian tradition.

This book is a great source for teaching young children about Mary. It is also great for teens, who may not want to sit and read much about Mary, but the Art draws them in and gets their interest and they can handle a page or two (before they know it, they're done!). I was surprised by this while I was teaching a teen confirmation class and had just put the book out for "kicks", it was one of the most used books that day!

I've just finished reading this enthralling book, _Molly, Child Number 583_ . I have to say once I began reading, I could not put it down. To read about the author's years in the care of the nuns in what is euphemistically termed "homes" was heart-breaking. I recalled passing places like that as a child and wondering what spooky mysterious things were in the great grey stone building behind the locked iron gates where the nuns lived.

The author's intelligence, independence and strength of character are amazing. The book is not only a fascinating insight into the life of the nuns and the convents but a great story of courage and of heart. With persistence and intelligence she succeeded in her goal and succeeded in making a happy and successful life for herself.

Readers of popular Angela's Ashes will love Molly, Child #583 by Mary Keenan, a member of the Canadian Author's Assoc., Toronto chapter. What a special book: its sad yet happy story introduces us to a young woman who survives her rocky start and thrives in rought times. Poignant memories come to life as we meet frightened little Molly, share her cold childhood in a Maritime orphanage and witness her rude awakening to adulthood.

Abandonned to a cruel fate that she did not deserve, Molly learned to nurture herself, develop her resilience and fill her empty heart with warm thoughts. She kept searching for her mother and wanting to hear the truth about her family. This book glows with the light of hope. It resonates with deep feelings inside those of us who ache for happy times that might have been. Like Molly, we all hope to reconcile with our families of origin and understand how we came to be the people we are.

I didn't expect a memoir to be so suspenseful: this hard-to-put-down book deserves to be well read. It speaks eloquently about life's bittersweet experiences, heartbreaks and love. Woven throughout this uplifting story are practical guides for trusting ourselves, finding true happiness and learning about biological parents. Marvellous to cope so gracefully and write so well; contratulations Mary!

This book really opened my eyes to the involvement Mother Mary takes in our lives. Mother Mary is love in the truest sense of the word. I don't agree with everything in the book but enjoyed it very much.

I could hardly put this book down. I thought I knew a lot about Mary, but had no idea of the enormous amout of sightings and healings. Mary's message really makes me think twice about how I live my life. Found it very heartwarming and touching- the kind of book that changes your life!I would highly recommend this book- especially for those who are interested in Mary and those who are "searching" for something but don't know exactly what. Received a lot of peace just from reading it and makes me want to learn even more.

a wonderfu story with beautiful illustrations by Tomie DePaola. Share it with your children. you will both enjoy it!

Feilz Navidad!

Mr. DePaola has outdone himself this time. All of his books are wonderful, but this Christmas story is more than that. The illustrations are pure DePaola; they are clear and colorful. The story is simple, yet for children, unpredicable. The story is set in Santa Fe and shares an Hispanic custom with the reader; the Posadas held at Christmas time. I teach a whole class of Mexican ESL students and this book is perfect for my Christmas collection of books with Hispanic characters. This book, along with other DePaola books, and others, will add to my students' enjoyment.

Sister Bridget has done a remarkable job researching and bringing to life the reality behind the myths about the lives and accomplishments of these strong women who shed the roles they were born into and helped shape the Celtic religious beliefs for Pagans and Christians alike. Bridget Mary Meehan has shown me the Catholic religion can change and grow to allow women their rightful place in history. I hope women (and men) will read this book and realize the incredible importance women had in the development of religion in the Celtic world and take pride in these strong women who attained equal footing for all time.

...At age 76, I'm getting too old and set in my ways to deal with a fresh, sparky book like this by a couple of women who apparently couldn't care less what some male out of the past might think of them. The authors are celtic holy women themselves, no doubt about it. (Pronounce that kel-tic" -- unless they play basketball.) The celtic women inside the book turn out to be some twenty-one legendary, mostly celibate, holy characters too, often associated with one of the sacred wells that bubble in that part of the world by the thousands.
In the book wonder-filled legends are recounted unapologetically: you can make of them what you like. Into the mix go accounts of what happened on their own trip to the shrines. For people who want to make the pilgrimage that Bridget and Regina made, or want to do so through their private prayers, a lovely ritual is provided in each chapter. Then come discussion questions. A nice job, testifying to immense enthusiasm judiciously salted by the courageous conviction of women's full equality with men. Equality or better.
We might personally disdain "superstition" when we encounter it in ancient societies, but I would guess that the mentality that produced it is healthy. Our world is well described as magical in many aspects. Science has its superstitions too. Almost every scientist believes in the Big Bang, but what actually happened 4000 million years ago made no bang (there was no air) and was exceedingly small (expanding from a minute beginning). The thousands of "holy wells" in Ireland are considered awesome for the same reason as is the Big Bang. It's something wonderful, and no one seems to understand how it happened. Both seem the voice of the Divine..
The companion authors are women Religious, Meehan being the best known. She is surely a writer after my own heart. She has written and published 19 books by various small publishers, so, like myself, she obviously doesn't give up easily. Trying to get my lifeguard certificate at summer camp, a counselor fished me out coughing up water and said: "You passed, you passed," though I knew I hadn't. That's the trick for people like Bridget and me: never say die, even when you're restless heart is choking on great dreams. If St. Peter tries to detour her from heaven, he's in trouble.
This beautiful new book is a paperback for a hefty price, but you'll love the color plates that justify the expense. Who can blame a feminist for wanting her heroines to look their best? A beautiful Mary shines out from the Book of Kells. (The Blessed Mother once visited Ireland, you know.) St. Non glows from a flashy stain glass window -- as does "Brigit" herself. You even get a color view of Bantry Bay in Cork where St. Cannera hung out in "a small hermitage" back in the sixth century. You may ask, how do you get through the day as a solitary lady in the sixth century? My guess is you don't. You may call yourself a hermit, but there had to be a crew of a dozen people who brought food, washed linen, emptied the trash, walked the dog and brought you the news, not to mention someone to say Mass, lead the singing of hymns, and hear the confession of sins - if there are any. For Cannera's sake, I hope there were at least a few. Her life story suggests as much.
On the book's cover there's a lady Excellency leaning on her crosier, wearing a red halo around her head, and carrying a bible face up in her arm like she's selling it door-to-door. I don't find her identified in the book but I suppose she's Bishop Bridget. She looks dangerous, like someone who would ordain a woman priest in a heartbeat. She's definitely someone to look out for.
Should we not honor the Faithful Departed? In so-called primitive societies the people often felt the presence of their ancestors, and why not? Both physics and evolutionary theory insist that nothing in creation is ever destroyed but merely changed, so why should something as undeniably real and unique as a celtic holy woman - or ourselves, for that matter -- cease to exist? That would be an evolutionary anomaly.
So perhaps at last - with books like this to help us -- moderns will catch up to primitive societies and learn to live in an awareness of ancestors around us, welcoming into the present all the holy women and men, our departed parents, for instance, who had so much to do with who we are. My Irish cousin-in-law once walked me to a holy well near her home in County Down, a place she frequently goes to pray. There she talks to her departed husband, agonizing mostly, she says, because of "the awful silence." I was touched. None of us can do religion or science without our imaginations to help deal with the impenetrable mysteries on all sides. Books like this one ease an otherwise awful silence. Good work. #

I find this book to be a great book to keep by my bed when I am troubled. I found a copy of it in my father's belongings when he was dying. Now I read it when I have troubles in my marriage, with my children or at work. I find the tone of the book very soothing.

This precious prayer book is of the caliber of beauty of the Cistine Chapel! Page after page of beauty within words. Prayers to help, prayers to heal, prayers to hearten one to hope, all catalogued in great detail on the title page for easy reference. This prayer book, though it looks delicate, penetrates through to the core. Its power resides in the strength of the beautiful prayers and how they are explained by the author. She draws the reader in and suddenly the reader is praying the prayers...while reading the book! The greatness of this book is its overwhealmingly powerful prayers and how they are presented. This book will be a treasure generation after generation.