Colm Toibin's slim volume, The Testament of Mary (#544) is the complete opposite of Christopher Buckley's rollicking send-up of medieval Catholic Europe. Here we meet Mary, near the end of her life, bitter and disillusioned about what has become of her and her unnamed son. Yet, somehow, it feels real. It's a woman who speaks to us here, not a remote icon.
Whether or not you agree with Mr. Toibin's vision of Mary, there is much here to ponder. There really are remarkably few mentions of Mary in the Bible, and it feels as though he is giving us a plausible reason for why that may be so.
It won't take you long to read this novella, but it will stay with you long after you close the book.
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