SubscribeHere we have a book that is filled with interesting contradictions and relationships! It is a work of Historical Fiction, which, at least to me, makes the story that much more compelling.
The main story takes place between around 1884 and 1917 in a small village in France. Marie and her family, (her parents, foster sister, and younger brother) move into this small village due to some misfortune, and are not greeted very warmly at all. Marie is sixteen years old at the time. Soon, a friend of her mother’s comes to live with the family. Berenger Sauniere is good looking and charismatic, and catches the attention and affection of young Marie. Unfortunately for both of them, the reason he has moved to the village is because he was assigned there. He is the new priest. These two people really did exist, and while Hassinger has used some known facts about the two people and how they lived, she also has imagined a great story to fill in the gaps, creating a wonderful tale of Historical Fiction.
Marie has also made friends with the eccentric rich woman who lives with the Mayor, and from their conversations, begins to question everything. Who is this woman, really? What of the stories she has been told is the truth about her? Should Marie believe what the woman has told her, or the rumors she has heard? Things do not quite add up. Marie discovers that this woman is Jewish, the first Jewish person Marie has ever known, and this raises questions for Marie, who has been told by her church that the Jews killed Jesus and are evil. But her friend is smart, and kind and loving, and Jewish at the same time. Her friend is also well educated, and teaches Marie more about the history of the Church, including the Crusades. Marie begins to have lots of questions about God, Christianity, and right and wrong. Some of these questions turn into arguments between Marie and Berenger Sauniere, adding to the tension between them. He is desperately trying to resolve himself between the oath he took when he became a Priest, and his feelings for Marie. Is God testing him? Is God trying to tell him to be chaste and stay away from Marie entirely in order to be more spiritual, or is God trying to tell him to become more in touch with the world he physically exists in, which God not only made but placed him in?
As if this were not enough of a story, Hassinger adds much more. Some of the chapters go back in time, and are through the eyes of a character named Miryam, who is plagued by several demons, and following around a man named Yeshua. Yeshua has lots of other followers too, and he performs miracles. It soon becomes clear that Miryam is Mary Magdaline, and Yesuha is Jesus. Familiar Bible stories are told through Miryam’s eyes, and anyone who has read that part of the Bible knows what will eventually happen. Even so, Hassinger has retold these events in a fresh way, and very beautifully. I think that even readers who aren’t Christian at all will still get a lot out of this part of the book. Hassinger makes the reader want to meet both these characters in person.
There are some obvious parallels between Marie, who loves a Priest she cannot marry, and Miryam, who loves a Rabbi who might be a God, who she cannot marry either. There are other connections between the two women as well. Marie finds something hidden in the church when it is being renovated. This find leads her and Berenger Sauniere on a treasure hunt, that might just answer some of the questions Marie is wondering about.
This is a great book, with layer upon layer of interwoven story. Readers who enjoy Historical Fiction will love it, and so will everyone who has already read The Da Vinci Code, and is now looking for a different story that connects Jesus and Mary Magdaline. This book is beautifully and intelligently done, giving the reader lots to think about. Its a quick read, and I really enjoyed it!
Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>