Arguably the most influential of all women throughout history, Mary, the Virgin Mother is also, paradoxically, the least known. In this unprecedented brilliantly wrought biography, Mary comes believably to life. We are so used to the legendary image of the Madonna that the very idea of her as a real person sets the eyes alight. Starting with the dark-skinned, hard-muscled girl barely out of adolescence when she gave birth, Lesley Hazleton weaves together the many facets of Mary's existence: peasant villager, wise woman and healer, activist, mother, teacher, and yes, virgin, though in a sense we have long forgotten. She follows her through the worst any mother can experience-the excruciating death of her child-and then looks at how she transforms grief into wisdom, disaster into renewal. Strong and courageous, the source of her son's powers of healing and wisdom, the Mary we see here did not merely assent to her role in history, but actively chose it, and lived it to the fullest. As a former psychologist and political reporter with deep roots in both Judaism and Catholicism, Hazleton has drawn on years of Middle East experience as well as on anthropology, history, theology, and above all, empathy to reconstruct Mary's life. The woman she discovers is neither demystified nor diminished, but on the contrary, all the more meaningful and admirable. By honoring her reality, Hazleton has given her back to herself-and to us. Lesley Hazletonis the award-winning author of eight books, includingJerusalem, JerusalemandWhere Mountains Roar. Her work has appeared in such publications as theNew York Times,Harper's,Parade,Esquire,Vanity Fair,Mirabella, andThe Nation. She lived in and reported from Jerusalem for thirteen years, and now lives in Seattle. Who was Mary? The most famous woman in the world is usually depicted as a blank, iconic figure rather than the extraordinary person she must have been. Beginning with a vision of a dark-skinned girl barely out of adolescence when she gives birth, Lesley Hazleton draws a fierce and inspiring portrait from Mary's myriad identities: peasant villager, wise woman and healer, activist, mother, teacher, and yes, virgin, though in a sense we have long forgotten. We see how she becomes pregnant, how she raises her son to inspire and to lead, and how she survives the worst any mother can experiencethe excruciating death of her child. Above all, as Jesus is buried and resurrected, we gain new insight into the depth of Mary's wisdom as she transforms grief into action, and disaster into renewal. A former psychologist and political reporter with deep roots in both Judaism and Catholicism, Hazleton has drawn on years of research and experience in the Middle East, as well as on anthropology, history, and theology. The Mary who emerges is neither demystified nor diminished. On the contrary, it is her very humanity that makes this such a powerful and universal story, one in which women everywhere will recognize themselves. This brilliant biography radically reenvisions the life of Mary, restoring her to us as both a real woman and a powerful spiritual leader. "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 ofCommon Prayers "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 pe