Ancient Rage

by Mary Lee Wile

Book Overview

This is a powerful novel that captures the varying emotions of two mothers, Mary (mother of Jesus) and Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist) and the friendship that develops between them.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 094391471X
• ISBN13: 9780943914718
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Larson Publications
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Read For Christian Women.

This book is about two Mothers who loved their sons and then lost them. One to crucifixion and the other had his head cut off and put upon a platter. Two Mothers who lived the blessings of a child and the pains of losing him through great sacrifice , as seen through their eyes and their hearts. I read the pages knowing what was to happen, but seeing and hearing the words gave me insight into how they felt and what they lost. As a Mother of three boys, I cannot even think of coming to terms with it. A remarkable book! A must for all Christian women. This would make a great group study for Christian women.

Elizabeth's pain

In the promotional material for this poetic and compelling book, Mary Lee Wile's biography says that she "wrote this book as a way to fathom her own feelings of grief and rage at the loss of children." The book's dedication is to "The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo," whose children, according to Wikipedia "`disappeared' during the [Argentinian] Dirty War, the military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983." It has been said that outliving one's child is life's most profound injustice, and the depth of emotion and meaning in the 144 pages of Ancient Rage are a testament to the deep river of sorrow that the parent of a dead child has to plumb the depths of. Creating a successful narrative about New Testament matters is no easy task, as evidenced by the poor outcome of Anne Rice's Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt, and Wile overcomes potential obstacles by letting the story tell itself virtually unencumbered. She carefully chooses her Emphases and Perspectives, which I will discuss briefly as the substance of this review. Wile's prose is woven together like a fine linen with historical facts, religious practice, and Biblical references. Her knowledge of Jewish practice and ritual is considerable, and makes for an educational as well as moving read. The beheading of John the Baptist on orders of Herod by request of the infamous seductress Salome (who was operating on orders from her mother...) is a Biblical tale almost as well known as the crucifixion of Jesus, which also figures prominently here. One doesn't have to be especially religious to embrace the themes that resonate through this book. A mother's love, a child's resistance and rebellion to his parents' path and wishes, and the effects of the larger political world on the family unit are the main themes, and they are indeed Universal. Wile does an excellent job of painting a rich and detailed picture of the landscape, practices, foods, fabrics, and daily lives of the people living in Elizabeth's time. The scenes at the Jordan river, the Passover meals, and the preparation and consumption of the chief food and drink of the time are especially vivid, as are the Temple ceremonies presided over by Elizabeth's husband, the High Priest Zachariah. Readers interested in the mysterious group known as the Essenes, of which John was a member (and perhaps Jesus as well) will find a great deal of information in Ancient Rage about their practices and how they were perceived by the Pharisees, Sadducees, and others of their time. Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Wile's exploration of the trajectory of their relationship from when their children are young, to the two men's rise to "fame," and the aging women's dealing with their sons' subsequent violent, unnatural and very public deaths provides the narrative spine of Ancient Rage and in the end, it all comes down to Faith. The book opens well after the death of Jesus (Elizabeth is in her 90s and Mary in her 60s), with the provocative l

mrs.wile own!

Hello, I am a student of Mt. Ararat high school in Maine...Mrs. Wile is my AP English Literature teacher...she is amazing...i have yet to read this book...but it should be interesting....anything by her should be great...