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A Pondering Heart

From Handmaid to Madonna: A journey fraught with agony

Mary of Nazareth is a simple girl, herding goats on her father’s farm and making cheese to sell at the local market. Then Jehovah’s messenger visits claiming: “Blessed art thou among women.”

Blessed? Mary faces speculation about her untimely pregnancy, which turned to shunning and isolation. Caesar’s decree forced a grueling trip to Bethlehem during the final weeks of her “blessed” pregnancy. And then, under cover of darkness, she fled Herod’s murderous wrath.
But the birth of Jesus of Nazareth is only the beginning. Yahweh blesses Mary and Joseph with a quiver full of children. But love brings sorrow. When Jesus leaves to follow Yahweh’s mission for his life, Mary is torn between two sons.

As old Simeon told her in the temple, a sword pierced her soul – again and again. And the killing blow was yet to come…

What readers of the earlier editions are saying:

"This is an excellent fictional account of what it might have been like to walk in Mary's shoes. The author did not take any verses out of context, but simply allowed the reader to see the human side of Mary." Barbara, winner of Goodreads copy

"I started reading this at 9:00PM on Dec. 23. I thought I could start and then finish it on the 24th. Well, let me tell you - I was up in the wee hours of Dec. 24th, not being able to stop reading once I had started. Sharon Hughson has done a beautiful job of putting words to paper on this narrative of Mary's thoughts from the time she was approached by an angel about a virgin birth. There are no words to sufficiently describe this BEAUTIFUL story. As a mother and a lover of my Lord - this book moved and touched me deeply." - Vicki from Wyoming.

"This was a great story and I can't stress that enough. It was an in depth look at how things may have been for Mary after she found out she would give birth to Jesus up to his ascension. I learned so much about their customs and saw things from a different perspective. I highly highly recommend this book!!" – Mary, 5-Star Amazon Review

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