The Testament of Mary

The Testament of Mary (2012) by Colm Toibin. The author has taken a hypothetical -- what if Mary, mother of Jesus, told her own story in her own words -- and turned it into a book. It's a short book (81 pages), and it covers a short period of time. Mary, now an old woman, has no interest in collaborating with the authors of the Gospel. She does not agree that her son was the son of God, nor that his death was "worth it." She is merely a grieving mother who has witnessed perhaps the worst that a parent can see -- her own child executed before her eyes. I am not a believer, nor am I a Bible scholar, so maybe something escaped me as I read this book. I found it curiously unmoving and disappointing. It was readable, but not inspiring. Grade: B