She's the most famous woman in history, yet almost nothing is known about her. Although she's portrayed as the gentlest and most tragic of all women, her name has been used as an excuse for internecine hatred and wars between peoples.
But who was Mary, mother of Jesus Christ? What type of family did she have? What was the community like in which she grew from child to teenager forced to marry a man three times her age?
And why have virtually all the details of her early life been obscured and censored by the writers of the Bible?
In The Book of Mary, novelist Alan Gold looks at first century Israel under the iron heels of Roman occupation and uncovers what life was like for a young woman in a distant outpost of the most aggressive and merciless Empire in history. Following Mary's story from teenager to a young woman married to a widower, to mother, and then to become a devotee of the new religion her Son had created. This tragic yet virtually unknown woman is forced to witness the excruciating pain of her son's crucifixion.
Author Biography:
Alan Gold has written and published over 30 books throughout the world, both fiction and narrative non-fiction. His books have been translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Asian languages. His publishers have included Penguin, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster. He now publishes exclusively through Golden Wren Publishing. Alan is an occasional OpEd columnist for newspapers and magazines internationally as well as in Australia, a literary critic, and a mentor for Masters and Doctoral students of creative writing at three major universities. He began his career in journalism after his education in England. In Israel, he worked for Reuters International News Agency and was a freelance journalist in America, Canada, Europe and Asia, contributing articles and news stories to major media outlets. He went to live in Australia in 1970 to marry, and he and his wife Eva, a leading educationalist, whom he met while living in Israel, have three adult children. Alan's first major novel was The Jericho Files which was an international success. This was followed by The Lost Testament and many other books which have historical themes. All of his novels have been critically acclaimed, and a recent novel, Birthright, the second part of a trilogy dealing with the history of Jerusalem told through the lens of two families over a 3000 year time span, was called by one reviewer, the most gripping and exciting book I have read in years. An intellectual literary journey of immense power and subtlety. One of his recent books, The Mechanic, deals with the final Nuremberg Trial of an ordinary German who kept the wheels of the concentration camps turning, and has as its dominant theme the nature of truth and fiction. Alan is a popular speaker at community and cultural events, having given numerous keynote speeches at international conferences on subjects ranging from literature, social equity, and racism.
