Mary of Nazareth » (Bargain)

MAREK HALTER was born in Poland in 1936. During World War II, his family escaped the Warsaw ghetto and settled in France. He is the author of several critically acclaimed, internationally bestselling novels, including the Canaan Trilogy: Sarah; Zipporah, Wife of Moses; and Lilah.

The ancient world and its politics come to life through the eyes of a young Jewish woman, Mary of Nazareth

Miriam–also known as Mary–was born into a Palestine oppressed by Herod the Great; she is accustomed to living with uncertainty and unrest. But when her beloved father is wrongly imprisoned by the Romans, she takes action. She calls upon a well-known rebel by the name of Barabbas, and together they set out to save her father. A daring escape is accomplished and, against staggering odds, Miriam’s father is saved from crucifixion.

Barabbas, flush with the success of the rescue, is intent on leading a full-scale rebellion against Herod and the Romans. Along with Mary and her father, he speaks before Jewish leaders who have gathered from various communities. Miriam feels great frustration as the men endlessly debate morality, the wisdom of rebellion, and the nature of God’s will. Having almost lost her father, and knowing she will be ostracized, she nevertheless speaks out against the use of violence. And to her surprise, one man, Joseph, listens. He offers to take her to Magdala, where she will be allowed to study in the company of intelligent, well-read women. This rare opportunity sets into motion a series of events that will change Miriam’s life–and the history of the Jewish people–forever.

Based on extensive historical and biblical scholarship, Mary of Nazareth is a revealing, utterly captivating portrait of a woman whose story we only thought we knew.

Sandra Collins - Library Journal

Known for his previous fictionalizations of biblical women ("The Canaan Trilogy": Sarah, Zipporah, and Lilah), Halter here crafts the story of Miriam (Mary), who is in league with Barabbas and the Essene Joseph of Arimathea against the Roman occupiers and their puppet client-kings, the house of Herod. She is brash and passionate, given to fits of righteous indignation and fierce loyalties. An ancient Near Eastern feminist, Mary spouts abundant highly charged speech and eschews marriage because "I have other things to do in this world than be a man's wife." Her work is bearing the Messiah, a thing she asks of the Lord rather than a thing thrust upon her. Halter's Mary exists on the border between visionary and madness, and she blames herself for Jesus's eventual arrest for forcing his hand at the wedding in Cana. Some historical elements give pause (for instance, the Essenes were a separatist movement unlikely to join in political intrigue), and, as with Halter's previous works, he runs out of creative energy before getting to the conclusion. But the modern twist is intriguing. Recommended where interest in biblical fiction warrants.