Mary's Diary: Of Jesus' Life (Inglese) Copertina flessibile – 22 lug 2015

This is a good book to read during either the Christmas or Easter holiday seasons, or anytime for that matter! As you read about activities of daily living with Jesus as a son, you can examine your own feelings and emotions as to what it might have been like, and the effect He has on your life today.
I appreciated the glossary, and the comparison of the calendar year.
I like the cover of the book, as I feel that it looks like a diary, and portrays Mary's humble lifestyle.
The book has some grammatical errors, however, that make it just a little bit difficult to read. Were these intentional, as they might be when writing a personal diary?

There’s such an immediacy to Marilyn’s writing that reading "Mary’s Diary" is an immersion experience.

I felt that I walked with Mary, as she
* bore her beloved Yosef’s cutting, gruff response to the news of her pregnancy
*abandoned her longtime dreams of a lovely, formal wedding
*gave birth to her Son in a cave, shelter from the chilly weather
*wondered at Shimon’s troubling prophecy in the temple
*welcomed, with astonishment, the gifts of gold and frankincense, and shrank from the gift of myrrh
*wondered at her neighbour’s dread—were the Magi spies?
*huddled in another cave, Baby Yeshua in her arms, hearing the cries of her friends whose babies were slaughtered by the Romans
*struggled to be a fit mother to the Son of the Most High
*grew in joy and humility as she followed His ministry
*struggled in darkness and crushing disappointment after her Son’s excruciating death
*rejoiced with unspeakable joy on Resurrection morning

Marilyn has a gift for putting herself--and her reader--inside the heart and mind of another person. Written with realistic detail, a sprinkling of ancient languages, and a mother’s heart, "Mary’s Diary" is an absorbing read for lovers of the Messiah and His Word.

I received a free review copy of this book.

See full review @ The Indigo Quill . blogspot . com

I received a PDF of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful book, and so fitting for Good Friday! This is the first of its kind that I have come across, and I could just feel the perspicacity pour off the pages. Marilyn Friesen conducts us through the journey of Mary's life from the moment she is visited by Gabriel, to the moment of rejoicing after the resurrection. There is no doubt that through reading this book, you will feel the effect if what it may have been like to walk with Jesus through His life here on earth.

Each journal entry has a consistent format that contains a "Dear Diary" and a date. It is clear the Friesen has made ample effort to do her research and not only make things as accurate as she could, but also keep things readable for those who may not understand what 27th Elul means (September 14th). She also includes many keywords accompanied by a glossary in the back to help readers maximize their reading experience. I would advise readers to look over the glossary BEFORE reading the book so they have an idea of what these words are when they stumble upon them, rather than having to flip back and forth, interrupting their reading.

What I didn't necessarily like about the book are two things: 1) The cover. It is a lovely image, but I feel like the content of this book deserves better. It doesn't make me look at it and think I'm about to read a beautiful recount of history from the heart of the mother of Christ. 2) Consistency in the language. There were times the historical context was jumbled within modern language and it felt just a tad bit inconsistent.

As for content, I truly felt like I was right next to Mary during the years she spent with Jesus. It's so easy to feel so disconnected from that time in history that we look at it more as a "story" or just another event in history. But as today is Good Friday, let us remember that it is this very event that we are here and have hope for salvation.

This was a perfect book for Easter Weekend. I was left feeling inspired, hopeful, and eminently grateful for the miraculous gift of life and freedom I have in Christ.

"OH VICTORY!
From a splendid throne He rules
With power to set men free
From Satan's bonds so cruel
The resurrected King!"