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List Price: $26.00 | | Publisher: Monkfish Book Publishing
Salesrank: 206521
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| Our Price: $15.50 |
| Used Price: $13.95 |
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| Media: Hardcover |
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Editorial Review:
“The best one yet!”—Catherine MacCoun, author of On Becoming an Alchemist
"As usual, Cunningham provides plenty of juicy controversy embodied by vivid characters and expressed in vigorous action, all in crisply drawn biblical settings."—Booklist
"Gleefully iconoclastic. For that dwindling demographic with a sense of humor about religion, Maeve’s profane skewering of the all-too-human foibles of the Church fathers is a hoot." Kirkus Reiews
""Elizabeth Cunningham has again delved into her fabulous treasure trove of impeccable research, and come up with gold. In Bright Dark Madonna, her interweaving of Biblical-Celtic themes brings the first century to life with unexpected freshness and many surprises." —Katherine Neville, author of The Eight and The Fire
After playing an intimate role in the mystery of the Resurrection, what is left for Maeve, the Celtic Mary Magdalen? Never a follower, will she emerge as a leader of the early church? Will she retire quietly to mother a sacred bloodline? Will she set sail for France to proselytize and go spelunking? The answer: all and none of the above. No sooner does Maeve open her mouth to preach the gospel her way than a fierce debate begins about what to do with the child she is carrying. Maeve has her own ideas about where best to raise the savior’s scion. When she returns to Temple Magdalen, the holy whorehouse she founded, a custody battle of biblical proportions ensues. Maeve, her infant daughter Sara, and Jesus’ mother flee to the remote Taurus Mountains where they live in hiding among the Galatians until a mysterious man is dumped on their doorstep more dead than alive. When Maeve discovers the identity of the man she has healed, she is appalled and determined to keep her family’s secret. But Maeve has reckoned without the will of her brilliant, angry adolescent daughter who resolves to find out the truth about her father—for herself.
Required reading for fans and accesible to those new to The Maeve Chronicles, Bright Dark Madonna takes the reader on a breathtaking journey from the temple porticoes of Jerusalem, to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, to the south of France, and, as always, to the treacherous, beautiful terrain of the human heart.
Bright Dark Madonna: A Novel (The Maeve Chronicles) Reviews:
what a woman! 
2009-08-15 - I am waiting for the fourth book in the Maeve
Chronicles. I did not think that when I began to read this series that I would be drawn into Maeve's story as I have been. This novel (and I have to remember that it is a novel and not "the truth")gives this reader the opportunity to think about options beliefs and possibilities. The book is sexy, funny, poignant and challenging. I have a story line in my head about where the fourth book in the chronicles will take Maeve and Sara; guess I have to wait and see.
An outstanding and superbly written series
2009-07-11 - A superbly written historical novel by a master storyteller, Elizabeth Cunningham's 474-page novel "Bright Dark Madonna" is the tale of Maeve, a young pregnant woman who played an intimate role in the mystery of the Resurrection as the Celtic Mary Magdalen. A great controversy breaks out when Maeve seeks to preach the gospel in her own manner, giving voice to her own ideas about how to raise the daughter that Jesus of Nazareth sired with her prior to his execution on a cross by the Romans at the behest of the Jewish religious authorities. When she returns to Temple Magdalen (a holy whorehouse she founded), a custody battle breaks out over her infant daughter Sarah and Jesus' mother must flee to the remote Taurus Mountains to living in hiding among the Galatians. There is where a mysterious stranger shows up on her door step badly in need of her healing. As Maeve determines to keep her family's secret she must also deal with her now adolescent daughter's anger, strength of will, and determination to learn the truth about her father. The legions of readers who so fully enjoyed and appreciated Elizabeth Cunningham's previous two titles in the Mary Magdalene trilogy, "The Maeve Chronicles" will be equally enthralled with the further adventures of Mary Magdalene in "Bright Dark Madonna" as the journey of Maeve and her daughter Sarah continue and conclude with the third and last volume in this outstanding and superbly written series.
I can't wait for the next installment, the further adventures!
2009-05-28 - I have thoroughly loved the Magdalen series!
I love the irreverance and the voice of the writing and the adventure of the story! Looking forward to the continuation of the series!
Red is back!
2009-05-18 - I was thrilled to get my hands on the latest in the trilogy. I really wondered how she would explain the events after Jesus's death. If I wasn't laughing with her interesting point of view and sassy remarks I was experiencing her sadness wondering where her lover had gone and why he was talking to everyone else! It was also refreshing to learn about a very different relationship she had with Mother Mary, or Ma. I loved how they loved each other. I hope we don't have to wait forever to find out if she will meet her Celtic offspring in Ireland. Stay tune for Book 4.
I would highly recommend all 3 of these books for excellent summer reading. Magic, female empowerment, romance and mother earth will be your companions on your journey.
Bright Dark Madonna
2009-05-17 - A fantastic story. Maeve is one of my favorite characters to take a walk with.
