Mary of Galilee - Book Review

I am now resting on holiday catching up with some reading and some work. I thought I would start simple so I did. The book I have just finished reading is about the size of a leaflet. It's called Mary of Galilee by Christine Miles. According to where it was placed in the book shop it's aimed at teens. 

It's a novilisation of the story of the mother of Jesus. For what is a long story time wise it's a short book. The author tries to cover all the basic story details in the bible. So you go from conception to resurection. The author does not over embellish the story but seems to just want to add the human factor. 

What I like about it is the human element. Giving Mary family and friends makes what she went through more real. Because the bible is not an autobiography of the people but rather an account of Gods love for us the one thing we miss is the human element. 

What would happen if Joseph's mother did not approve of Joseph marry a pregnant girl. How would this play out in a village setting. What the author does with a great degree of skill is to add this humanity to Mary's story but in few words. There seems to be a great respect for the scripture that is evident but also a great imagination at play. 

The part that really spoke to me was after Jesus was born and the flee for Egypt. At this point I was questioning the author as to why she had missed out certain fact like the wise men. But she used them well for dramatic effect. 

Overall I would say that this little book is well worth reading for teenager and adult alike. It is well worth trying to understand what it was really like to walk Mary's shoes.