Review: Miryam of Nazareth: Woman of Strength and Wisdom

Miryam of Nazareth: Woman of Strength and Wisdom by Ann Johnson, September 1, 2005 (originally published in 1984). 124 pages. Published by Christian Classics. Source: Ave Maria Press.

Woman of Strength and Wisdom Woman of prayer, woman of faith, woman of confidence, this is the Mary of Nazareth we meet in this vivid, contemporary portrait of the mother of Jesus. We are shown that these strengths were a part of her long before the angel asked her cooperation in God's plan of salvation. We learn of her heritage (the women of the Old Testament, Ruth, Esther, etc.), her life with Jesus, and with the apostles after the resurrection. A fresh and appealing view of Mary, the God-bearer, the woman for all times. 

When I first started reading Miryam of Nazareth, well, let's just say that the book and I got off on the wrong foot. While the premise of the book appealed to me greatly, I was somewhat surprised by the format of the book-that of poetry-because it's a style that does not appeal to me.

While Miryam of Nazareth and I didn't get off to the best start, I ended up enjoying this one more than I thought I would. Why, because I stepped back and decided to set aside my prejudice against the style of writing and just take in the book. So, did taking a moment to accept the writing style help? Yes, yes it did. It gave me the time to appreciate what the author was going for in the book and to not just dismiss it.

Even though it took me two weeks to get through 124 pages, I found myself swept up in the stories on the women of the Old Testament and the author's view on how Mary would have read and meditated upon their stories as she moved through her life. It was really quite interesting and like nothing I had ever read before. I really enjoyed how she brought the women of the Old Testament to light and told their stories, as well, as how she pictured Mary using their stories and faith walks during her life. It definitely made for some interesting reading.

Again, the style of writing was not necessarily something that I would pick up, yet, the context of Miryam of Nazareth was something that really piqued my interest. Why, because I enjoy Biblical history and seeing how the people of the OT left their ark on later generations. So, you can see how this book would be something that would be of interest to me.

If like me you enjoy reading about women that are known for their strength and wisdom, then I cannot recommend Miryam of Nazareth enough. It is a wonderful look at not only the women of the Old Testament but also an interesting look into how Mary would have been inspired by their stories throughout her life. Really, there are no perfect or fitting words to talk about why this would be a good book for y'all to check out...it just is okay!!

Final Verdict: Miryam of Nazareth- The writing took some time for me to get into, but, the story was well worth continuing on.

Miryam of Nazareth earns

this book was received in exchange for an honest review,