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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
The first 2/3 of the book was great, relatable and funny and difficult in an endearing way. But then the rest took a dramatic turn. I'd heard of narcissistic parents writing books in order to lull back their children & win approval of their readers - the last 1/3 seemed to be heading in that direction
I can't get behind this author's alleged love for Mary, while simultaneously taking loud, dissonant and exceedingly-played out issue with the very things Mary is continuously gesturing to-- her Son, and the Church. Her "devotion" reads painfully hollow, because she never stops qualifying it with things she takes issue with (mostly men, especially men in positions of power...*yawn*). Her profoundly childish, self-centered, ludicrously immature approach to life is never tempered with the catharsis of orthodoxy. This memoir reads like she's humble-bragging her greatest hits of horrible decision making, which would be compelling if she didn't spend the entire book also challenging myriad aspects of the very institution that Our Lady herself draws humanity to. News to Bev-- you can't amputate Catholicism from Our Lady and then pretend that your distortion is anything but a reflection of frail human fear and ego. I do not recommend this book.
I found this one hard to rate. I felt like I didn't really like the author which makes it hard normally to enjoy a memoir, but I loved reading about her search. I am new to Catholocism, and I feel like this book had a deep impact on me and exposed me to areas and ideas that I want to explore further.
loved it. I could have been Beverly in a lot of ways. Similar path.
I adore the Blessed Virgin and even though i left Catholicism behind, i still honour Her as a Goddess.
I adore the Blessed Virgin and even though i left Catholicism behind, i still honour Her as a Goddess.
I am a fan of Our Lady. In many ways I feel about the Virgin Mary as Ms Donofrio does. She is Mama Mary to me, the one that cuddles, encourages and admonishes me in the most sweet yet stern manner possible. Beverly Donofrio wrote without censoring herself which made me, at times, dislike her a lot and at others empathise with her struggles. She was a horrible mother and like most human beings she knew it but couldn't rectify it. A teenager mother, married to the father of her child and within two years had divorced him. For the longest time she put her needs ahead of her son, putting Jason through all sorts of hell and this is where Mama Mary comes in. Quietly, without forcing herself into Beverly's life Mary comes into Beverly's house on throw with the picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, later there'll be pictures, statues, pictures all over Beverly's home. We first meet Beverly on her way to Medjugorje. She is going to report what's been happening there, however, there was more to that trip than she expected: she found herself falling in love with Mary.
What I really appreciated was the honesty. Her faith journey was (is) like my own. She still wants women to be priests, she finds the institutional Church to be male dominated leaving women to do the menial jobs and yet she goes to mass as often as possible, she prays her rosary often, she fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays and she finally forgave herself, her ex-husband and her son and as the book finished her relationship with Jason was on the mend. God and Mary 'hang out' with the weak, the selfish, the poor, not just for lack of money but lack of meaning in their lives. They love us, the good and bad, in spite of the bad, because of the bad. Beverly Donofrio, a regular, broken human being opened her heart and found inner peace. There's hope and Mary, Our Mother is there to show us the way.
What I really appreciated was the honesty. Her faith journey was (is) like my own. She still wants women to be priests, she finds the institutional Church to be male dominated leaving women to do the menial jobs and yet she goes to mass as often as possible, she prays her rosary often, she fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays and she finally forgave herself, her ex-husband and her son and as the book finished her relationship with Jason was on the mend. God and Mary 'hang out' with the weak, the selfish, the poor, not just for lack of money but lack of meaning in their lives. They love us, the good and bad, in spite of the bad, because of the bad. Beverly Donofrio, a regular, broken human being opened her heart and found inner peace. There's hope and Mary, Our Mother is there to show us the way.
I love this book. It's beautiful and honest and sweet. I couldn't get enough of it and finished it way too soon.
One of the things I like about Donofrio is that she makes me look like a good mother by comparison. In this memoir about her obsession with Mary, mother of Jesus, she's no less self-absorbed or narcissistic than she was in [b:Riding in Cars with Boys|139668|Riding in Cars with Boys|Beverly Donofrio|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172112153s/139668.jpg|134633]. She still doesn't have a lot of clues, but to her credit she went looking for some.
Lots of interesting Marian detail here. Donofrio is a believer in the miraculous and has enough money to go on pilgrimages all over the world. Reading about it is as close as I think I ever want to get, but I'm glad I read this book. Religious fervor wherein one voluntarily allows one's self to be caressed with a glove covered in a dead priest's blood strikes me as best observed from a safe distance.
There are lots of little details that were left out of her first book. Not particularly linear, it's disjointed, all over the place, and I don't think I'm nearly as fascinated by Donofrio as she is. The writing is good.
Lots of interesting Marian detail here. Donofrio is a believer in the miraculous and has enough money to go on pilgrimages all over the world. Reading about it is as close as I think I ever want to get, but I'm glad I read this book. Religious fervor wherein one voluntarily allows one's self to be caressed with a glove covered in a dead priest's blood strikes me as best observed from a safe distance.
There are lots of little details that were left out of her first book. Not particularly linear, it's disjointed, all over the place, and I don't think I'm nearly as fascinated by Donofrio as she is. The writing is good.