by
The former Blessed Virgin Mary has had enough. She’s spent the past 2000 years looking after others, only to find that her true story has been erased. No one knows the real Miryam, the flesh and blood mother, the woman who taught the foundations of a world-wide religion to her often disobedient son. As she lives through her latest reincarnation, she struggles to understand why she keeps returning. Will her study at a Theological College finally allow her to free herself? Will she be able to retell her story, make herself real? Will she find the other half to her soul? Recycled Virgin is the first book in the Scleratis Series.
Ten in the morning on a damp fall day in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It didn’t feel like an auspicious start, Marian thought, as she dragged her wet sneakers across campus. She had been hoping for some celestial sign that she’d made the right choice, that she should be here, now, but feeling the rain soak through her brown hair to her chilled scalp wasn’t sending her a positive message. The rain fell harder, and she tugged up her hood. She craved a warm cup of coffee, a wool blanket and a good book, maybe even a roaring fire.
No hope for that. She was on a mission. It was time for Marian’s Introduction to Christianity class, and she had no idea where to find the seminar room. She ran through puddles to the big old building that looked like it should be a part of the college, only to find it closed up, chains across the door handles. Turning on her heel, she splashed mud up her pants legs, soaking them through.
She stomped, furiously wet, across to the newer block-shaped building. The wind slapped her face like an insult.
At least she found the right place. An impossibly young man wearing a “Can I Help You?” button pointed her down the hallway and she squelched gratefully towards the chatter of students. She slopped into the classroom and tugged her rain slicker off, sprinkling the other students with water. Apologizing in all directions, she handed out slightly damp tissues. No one answered her. They were all busy wiping themselves and their laptops dry. One girl, her black hair done up in braids, smiled a tiny smile. Her pigtails were dripping.
on Goodreads:"A great story that works well on several levels. The core plot is simple and solid. Marian has fled an abusive husband and come to Halifax to study theology, hoping to learn more about herself. The school year provides a natural pacing for events and plot complications, and is a literal representation of the character's journey of self-knowledge. Marian seeks knowledge about herself because she has lived dozens of lifetimes, and is wondering what the point of it is.
The memories of her past are a parallel subplot, beginning with the circumstances of how she became pregnant with Jesus, and contrasting her recollections to the biblical stories. These events are mixed with recollections of other past lives, revealing consistent threads in Marian's past and present. A strong theme is the consistent and often violent repression of women. Marian is used to hiding the skills she has accumulated through many lifetimes, but in the context of this story her behaviour represents something common to many women - hiding their intelligence to be less threatening to men.
Despite the heavy theme of women's place in society, other serious themes, a few powerful dark moments, questioning of religious dogma, and the multi-layered plot, this is a brisk and enjoyable read. There's a strong romantic subplot with witty dialogue, and the overall outlook is optimistic.
This is the first in a series, but is a satisfying stand alone story. I had the pleasure of reading this story in an earlier version, and am impressed by the changes. Looking forward to the next one."
“If you have even a passing interest in religion, scriptures, or alternate history, you’ll want to get a copy of this book.”
