Product Description
With this book, China Galland brought increased attention to the spiritual traditions of the Black Madonna and other cross-cultural expressions of the feminine divine. The popularity of recent works by authors like Sue Monk Kidd and Kathleen Norris have only increased readers’ fascination. Now with a new introduction by the author, Longing for Darkness explores Galland’s spellbinding and deeply personal journey from New Mexico through Nepal, India, Switzerland, France, the former Yugoslavia, and Poland—places where such figures as Tara, the female Buddha of the Tibetan tradition, and the Black Madonna are venerated today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Disappointed
China Galland is, or was, a very unstable person.The book begins with her alcohol and drug addictions, her longing to fill a void within herself, and her search for female spiritual teachers.Mixed in with this, is a loathing for the Catholic church and its male Priests.She has no problems with male rinpoches or lamas in the buddhist tradition though.

I think any thoughtful reader will be disturbed by this womans emotional ups and downs and her subjective analysis of the Catholic and Buddhist faiths which she neither examines analytically, thoughtfully or intelligently.

This book is a shallow comparison of religions and deities through the eyes of an emotional woman who seeks adventure at the cost of her family and health.Her need to find validation is overwhelming.

A Woman Compelled to Find A Vision of God That Works For Her
After two divorces and three children, China Galland found herself "lost in the wilderness of the single-parent family" and struggling with alcoholism. Having left the Catholic church in which she was raised, she turned to nature for solace, but eventually found that her time there simply made her need for a spiritual life more obvious.

In January 1977 she went to a monastery in New Mexico to try to reclaim Catholicism, only to find herself a stranger. The masculine terms of the mass&mdas;Our Father, His body, His blood, God the Father, God the Son--and the Virgin's remoteness, impossible goodness, and inhuman purity fills her with grief and despair. There is no place for her here.

China begins a spiritual quest for the feminine face of God. Her search takes her from the rapids of the Rio Grande River in Texas to Nepal, India, France, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, and Poland--places where the goddess is still venerated today. She explores many aspects of divine femininity, acquainting the reader with the Order of the Woman in the Wilderness, Hindu goddesses Durga and Kali, the Greek goddess Artemis and more. The goddess Tara of Buddhism and the Black Madonna of Poland are the images to which she is most deeply drawn. She leads a group on a pilgrimage in the mountains of Nepal and joins the annual pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa in Poland.

Following the thread of Christian mysticism, China finds people like Meister Eckhart, the abbess Hildegarde and Julian of Norwich, who spoke of God as Mother. She discovers images of the goddess as far away as Kathmandu and as close to home as the Rio Grande Valley. She says, "The darkness of these female gods comforted me. It felt like a balm on the wound of the unending white maleness that we had deified in the West. They were the other side of everything I had ever known about God."

Some of the most appealing aspects of this book were China's encounters with other women during her search. She weaves the stories of Auschwitz survivors, visionaries of Medjugorje, French gypsies, and Mexican peasants into her own. Her book is really an adventure story set in both inner and outer worlds--beautifully written, soulfully told, and wonderfully illustrated with a number of amazing photographs.

I was inspired by China's determination to forge a spiritual life that not only included, but celebrated, her womanhood. It parallels my own search, though mine was not so adventurous or far-flung! I suspect many women yearn for feminine images of the Divine. This book supplies a wonderful array of those, presented by a woman compelled to find a vision of God that worked for her. Since her story is so deeply personal, it is much more accessible and enjoyable than many of the didactic texts available. China was born in Texas and has been a university lecturer, wilderness guide, journalist, and long-time student of Buddhism and comparative religion. She now works as a research associate at the Center for Women and Religion in California and is married with three grown children. Another work by Galland is the non-fiction book, Women in the Wilderness.

by Carolyn Blankenship
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Journey to Sobriety: Journey to God the Mother
Journey to Sobriety: Journey to God the Mother

China Galland is a writer, a mother of three, an alcoholic and a pilgrim, and "Longing for Darkness" is an account of her pilgrimage toward wholeness and healing.

This book is firstly an account of China Galland's spiritual journey toward sobriety. Secondly it is an account of her journey to and through Buddhism, of both Tibetan and Zen flavors, to the recovery of her own Catholic spiritual heritage, abandoned in the wake of patriarchal authoritarianism and misogyny, only to discover through the former's female deity, Tara, the strong, resilient, resisting feminine spirit inspiring the Black Madonnas of her own ancestry, blending the two traditions.

China Galland found a spirituality that satisfied her longing for the female face of God. "Longing For Darkness" is an absolutely compelling work, impossible to set down once one has begun the journey with the author. Her complete honesty about her inner being, her wllingness to place herself in a position of total vulnerability, to live in the moment, makes this book unique. Wherever the author journeys - whether to the Shrines of the Black Madonna in Poland, Switzerland, and southern France or to the temples of the Green and White Taras in Himalayan fastnesses or to the Temples of Kali, the Black Mother, in Delhi, she encounters people of deep faith and learns from every tradition, discovering that all of these variant images of God the Mother are but collateral descendents of a common ancestor and synthesizing her own way, a path strewn with flowers but without a name.

Though this is by no means a scholarly work on the historical derivations of the Maternal God (nor does it wish to be), it does provide a large amount of useful and interesting data, elaborating the dynamic interchanges between East and West since ancientmost times.Could Tara, Durga, Kali and the Blessed Virgin Mary and the host of Mother Gods of pre-Christian Europe all trace their ancestry to Astar/Astarte/Ishtar of ancient Persia, and could she herself be but a later manifestation of Isis, the black Mother God of the ancient Egyptians?

It is a possible, if not probable, thesis, but that is not the point of this book. Its work is not the elaboration of her Divine ancestry, but of her availability and her universality.There is a wonderful Sanskrit hymn translated in "Longing for the Darkness," which I quote here:

"Alas I do not know either the mystical word or the mystical diagram, nor do I know the songs of praise to thee, nor how to meditate upon thee nor how to welcome thee, nor how to inform thee of my distress.But this much I know, oh Mother: that to take refuge in thee is to destory all my miseries."

I have no wish to take the author to task for leaving undone something she's not undertaken to do, but I would have loved to have read something in this work dealing with the many images of the Dark Mother existing in various Afro-American traditions, particularly the treatment of Ezili Danto (or Danto, as she is more commonly known in the Voodoo/Voudoun tradition) whose ancestry is directly traceable to the Madonna of Czestochowa; indeed, the image of Danto re-presents exactly the two scratches on the face of the Polish icon left from a vandal's sword attack in 1430 and in Haiti attributed to Ezili's battles with her rival deity, Freda.

10 plus ***
china is the way i always considered mary a friend but from way back china guided me back from way back and beyond i'am very grateful .thanks great read it was hard to put down.

Along on someone else's journey
If you are looking for scholarly answers to the possible connection between the Black Madonnas of Europe and the Tibetan Tara and Indian Kali, this book will probably frustrate you. Galland's approach is to take us along for the ride as she explores both psychologically and physically the places of the Dark Mother. Not exactly travel writing, and not exactly spiritual memoir, her book combines some of both styles. Sometimes you may wish she spent less time describing the flowers on her walks and the twists and turns of her own anxieties and questioning. But she is a more or less pleasant travel companion, so if you want to cover the same ground, this is not a bad book.

What I enjoyed most was her description of an annual pilgrimage in Poland from all parts of the country to the shrine of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa.Who knew that a million people spend two weeks every year walking, praying, singing and camping as they return to the Madonna who represents their nation? Who remembered that Lech Walesa was inspired by this Madonna and that Solidarity banners were flown by these pilgrims in spite of being illegal.I was inspired to recall that a non-violent spiritual movement is what brought freedom to Poland.

I also took comfort in the fact that after abandoning her devout Catholicism and practicing first in the Zen tradition and then the Tibetan tradition, China Galland found herself also drawn to re-integrate her own spiritual heritage. Her experiences in Poland and Medjorge Yugoslavia are as important as her visits with the Dalai Lama and Tara initiations.

Though the book is a bit dated, most of the issues she raises continue to be relevant.I read this to help me understandThe Secret Life of Bees better as a teacher, and it certainly does that. I wonder if Sue Monk Kidd may have read it too. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover how your heart can be softened and opened to the transforming reality of the Holy Trinity dwelling within you.

In Sobornost, the Russian word for "unity," Catherine leads her readers on the journey of a lifetime.

She guides us along the pathway that takes us home to God's house, into the graced intimacy of eternal belonging. Here we rediscover the final unity that flows from Divine Persons, one in love--Father, Son, and Spirit. Here Catherine holds the lost key, the forgotten path, the secret to the most profound of all worlds--to a new civilization of love.

Sobornost enters our hearts through the grace of the Trinity. This unity transcends our emotions, our ideas, our identities and opens immense horizons. It is a mystery to be understood more with the heart than with the mind. Catherine shares her own experience of it in a way that rings true and brings readers to the heart of the mystery. She writes in a simple, conversational tone, from a heart full of immense love for God and neighbor.

Around the theme of spiritual unity Catherine weaves various threads of Christian spirituality: the primacy and meaning of Baptism, Eucharist, service to others in love, and contemplation.

Attaining sobornost is vital in this technological age with its loneliness, alienation, and fragmentation.

For all who thirst for unity between creature and creator and each other.

Every nation and every individual needs to work towards sobornost to heal the fragmentation of life! ... Read more

Product Description
Practiced throughout the world and within many different religions, meditation has long been a pathway to spiritual harmony and enlightenment. This fascinating book provides you with a personalized, practical and direct experience of meditation, and demonstrates the powerful healing that can be achieved by mastering this art. Going far beyond a reference guide, "The Meditation Experience" is more like a personal tutor, explaining how to meditate and access the benefits it offers including stress reduction, greater awareness and spiritual development. Interactive exercises of this book help you to tailor the book to your needs. Journaling sections allow you to write your own experiences directly into the book. The step-by-step learning programme guides you to revision work and more advanced exercises. There is an exclusive CD featuring meditations and inspirational music will bring you into a receptive state for deeper work. Featuring case studies throughout, this holistic, integrated and practical guide is your own personal meditation workshop in a book. ... Read more

Product Description
An illustrated, large-format tribute to the Material Girl features more than one hundred photographs--including shots from her childhood and her salad days in New York--and a discussion of her career. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Biography,with some great pic's..
This illustrated biography is ok, but the author could have done a better job arranging the pic's, as a great deal of the images are set in the crease of the book,which is sloppy and ruins the affect of th pictures.The book does have some full page pic's that are very nice and still worth having in your collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Tired of being "the nice one," who is always taken for granted, Binah is ready to try being something - or someone - new. But how will the new and maybe-not-so-improved Binah fit in with the English Roses? And with a certain someone - her latest crush, Ben - who might have liked the old Binah a little bit more than he'd let on? Can her friends prove just how wonderful the real Binah is before "the nice one" is gone...for good? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Children books
My 11-year daughter loves the content and design of Madonna's books: Very romantic and ideal for young "ladies". And now they also come with a card to enter the webpage and play. Two benefits in one book. ... Read more

Product Description
Learn how to fulfill the hunger and dream of the pilgrimage that we must all take to unity with God.

"Strannik" is Russian for pilgrim, one with a vocation--a unique, holy calling.

Pilgrimage is more than something you 'do.' 'Being a pilgrim' consumes all of you. The pilgrim is to "be the Gospel and to preach it with his words and with his being."

In Strannik, Catherine shows that pilgrimage is not just something for a few spiritual ascetics with wanderlust. Even less does it resemble the modern tourist-style 'pilgrimages' that try to cover as many holy places as possible in the briefest time possible. Rather, the true strannik begins by looking within the self, where God already is. While the author does tell us about external pilgrimages such as she herself experienced as a child in Russia, the pilgrimages she is writing about are principally interior.

Pilgrimage comes out of a quest for God. Catherine speaks of the "nostalgia for paradise" which all human beings have experienced since Adam and Eve. Without Christ we cannot complete our journey. "Christ was the pilgrim who pilgrimed from the bosom of the Father to the hearts of men and women."

Written for all Christians, those who have found and those who seek.

This is the pilgrimage of each person's life. ... Read more

Product Description
Deirdre Cornell, newly pregnant, her husband Kenny and their three small children, arrived in Oaxaca with few material goods but plenty of faith. The Virgin Mary was always important to Deidre and when she crossed the border she gained astonishing new insights into a Mother whose purpose in life is to cross the boundaries between heaven and earth.
Deirdre writes beautifully about Mexican narratives of Mary, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe whose image has travelled thousands of miles to the farms of upstate New York, the orchards of rural Georgia, and the meat-packing plants of Minnesota, carried by migrants and immigrants who find in her an intimate witness to their daily struggles.
Deirdre shares inspiring stories of courageous men and women whose love of family and devotion to Mary encourages her to be the best wife and mother she can be. And always before her, in new and wondrous ways, is the woman who is a citizen of no land and the Mother of migrants everywhere, nurturing, loving, and remembering them. ... Read more

Product Description

MADONNA! Diva-provocateur! Artist, mogul, and self-promoter par excellence! The most outrageous brilliant, controversial, scandalous, and extraordinary pop superstar of our time...or anytime! No celebrity has ever endured more intense public scrutiny of her personal and professional lives...nor has succeeded in, changing her persona so dramatically--and so often--under its withering gaze. With skill, candor, and remarkable insight, author Barbara Victor now takes us deep inside Madonna's world--her loves and her scandals; her roots, her rise, and her incomparable triumphs--to give us the most complete and revealing portrait to date of the self-styled Material Girl, arguably one of the most influential American entertainers of the past century...and undeniably a phenomenon.

Customer Reviews (17)

not really 'inside', so much
nowhere good as Lucy Stone's Like An Icon,Madonna: Like an Icon this is stil fun for the averavge Madonna fan.

I can't believe how god awful this book is.
The thing that strikes me about unauthorized biographies of Madonnais that most of them are written by people that no nothing about the artist. They're written by journalist and biographers that want to cash in on someone that has had a very exciting life. Barabra Victor is the best example I've seen. She starts off by stating that before starting research for the book, she never had more than a passing interest in Madonna. Then she goes on to confirm that by being overly analytical about a subject with which she has no personal knowledge. Sure she did a bit of research. She watched all her music videos (just once, I'm guessing). But she obviously has never been impressed or moved by anything Madonna has ever produced. It's the viewpoint of an outsider (non-fan). Maybe some find that interesting, but I think it makes most real Madonna fans cringe.
There are sloppy errors in the details, and the author's stab at non-linear writing is annoying and serves no purpose. The book is so long only because it is bogged down by uniteresting details that have nothing to do with the story.

Image of Old Madonna vs New Madonna
Recent devolopments have made the Barbara Victor biography more relevant in its comparison of Madonna's present day wealth and success to her many struggles and controversies of the past.The divorce from Guy Ritchie and the adoption of a boy from Africa to name a few.Madonna seems to have a conflicting dual personality where she wants the respectable clean image of success without keeping the rebel bad girl image that made her so rich.She wants droves of fans to line up for her security screened concerts, but doesn't want the public to remember the stalker serving time in jail for trying to break into her house.She wants people to know she adopted a child from Africa and writes children's stories now, but sort of wants to erase her torn underwear costume and the hit music of Papa Don't Preach and Like a Virgin.Victor journeys backward from Madonna's filming of Evita to events that shaped her life in this bio, ommitting some scandals mentioned here, but including insightful episodes from her childhood and early years not often mentioned in the latest gossip on ET.

A Terrible Bio
I was hoping to obtain in-depth information about Madonna's records, but instead I was exposed to writing that can be found in a typical celebrity gossip magazine. I read numerous times that Madonna lost her mother at a young age. She had a rocky relationship with actor Sean Penn. With the amazingly extensive career that the Queen of Pop has had, you'd think the author could give her writing of Madonna's life a little more pizazz.
The color photos in the book are not that great either. They are mostly of her at premieres in 1999/2000.
I'm sure there are better biographies that were written by people who actually did extensive research and didn't flip through a couple of tabloids.

Designated to Madonna fans
This was one of three major autobiographies that came out in 2001 and 2002 on the Uber-star Madonna. Nothing terribly knew, probing into her past, and recounting her career highlights. Great for every Madonna wanna-bee collection. ... Read more

Product Description
The prophetic call of a modern fool for Christ.

Learn why humility is the foundation of the spiritual journey, and how to become one forever with the humble, glorified Christ.

"Urodivoi" is a Russian word meaning 'holy foolishness', and in this book, inspired by her Russian upbringing and the words of St. Paul, Catherine Doherty expresses her calling to this aspect of Russian spirituality, and calls us to become fools for Christ.

-- Touch the folly of the Cross--God's wisdom.

-- Know the peace of a repentant heart.

-- Receive courage to proclaim the Gospel with your life.

The soul, totally in love with God and therefore humanity, is called to become a fool, one of the humiliati, despised, poor, rejected--like Christ. This fool has the courage to go anywhere to impart the Good News. Until the end of life the soul will preach the Gospel in every circumstance, becoming one forever with the glorified Christ, and in so doing will draw a multitude to the tenderness of the heart of God.

We are invited to open the doors of our hearts to the Lord of Love, to the foolishness of the Cross, becoming a fool for the sake of Christ, even as he became a fool for our sake. "For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom." ... Read more

Product Description
Now updated, this former Chicago Folklore Prize winner is a major contribution to our understanding of the roles that festivals play in European village life. Portrayed by early travel writers as ancient pagan survivals, festivals in Sardinia have long fascinated both native islanders and outsiders. But at the dawn of the twenty-first century, this Mediterranean island has become part of a global economy, and its festivals attract tourists from around the world. This detailed ethnography explores the effects of globalization on two Sardinian festivals over the course of the twentieth century, reflecting the double pull of tradition and modernity on the popular imagination and their sometimes devastating effects on local cultures. It vividly and insightfully describes the continuing struggles of community members to shape and control these important expressions of local identity, as they strive to create a space for themselves in the margins of Europe. ... Read more

Product Description
For readers of The Birth of Venus, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and The Other Boleyn Girl, a historically lush, lyrical, and thoroughly enthralling novel about the forbidden love between a woman and a holy man and the moral and spiritual struggles of faith.

In 1896, the priest in a small village in southern France suddenly came into possession of immense wealth. This much is true. What no one knows for sure is where his money came from. The history of the region suggests that he may have stumbled upon clues to a hidden treasure of the Knights Templar. An even more tantalizing possibility is that he discovered coded documents hidden in the structure of his church, documents so threatening to the Catholic Church that he was paid to keep silent. At his death under mysterious circumstances in 1917, his secrets died with him.

Yet there is one other person who may have known all-Marie Dernanaud, the priest's housekeeper and, some say, his lover. Interweaving the history of France at the turn of the twentieth century, scenes of ancient Judea, and the romantic and religious journey of a spirited and intense heroine, The Priest's Madonna gives Marie a chance to tell her version of what transpired-as well as her own story of belief, doubt, and illicit passion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Finally I'm done!
While this book was well written, it took me months to get through it.It just didn't hold my interest.I had to force myself to read until the end.I found the author going back and forth with the two stories between Jesus & Mary Magdalene and the priest and Marie, distracting.I did not enjoy this book.It doesn't mean the book was bad; it just wasn't my cup of tea.I'm not going to recommend it because of my own personal tastes, but others, I see, did really enjoy the book.

A Simply Exhilarating "Read"...
While I love reading books, audio books have been the very convenient for me on those long commutes home.This audio book has been the best I've heard in a long time.The author ability to weaves both stories of Marie and Berenger along with Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene are simply riveting.While an author can put so much time and effort into researching and writing a wonderful book it's a terrible waste when the Narrator does a poor job of reading the book.I was delight that that was not the case for The Priest's Madonna.Anna Fields does a superb job of telling the story to the listener.She gives each character their own voice and personality and well.... it was captivating!

I'll be frank, had I purchased the book and tried to pronounce any French words I would've been discouraged and wondered if I was saying them correctly.Anna certainly had no problem with French or Hebrew pronunciations.This was wonderfully written and beautifully told.A must for audio book lovers!

A gorgeous novel
This is a beautifully written book.An absorbing, well-researched novel filled with mystery, romance and touches of humor.

Set in southern France in the late 19th century, the novel tells the story of young Marie Dernanaud and her life in the village of Rennes-le-Chateau, her family, friends and fervent love for Father Berenger Sauniere.

The forbidden romance between Father Berenger and Marie is believable and is one of the most striking aspects of this book.Their relationship was not an easy one, but rather full of confusion, anxiety and guilt.Beneath these struggles, however, was an unyielding love that neither could deny.This moved me significantly.Together, they embark on a journey of faith that leads them to question the bond between the divine and things of worldly origin.

Entwined with the story of Father Berenger and Marie is a narrative of Mary Magdalene set at the time of Christ.Here, the author appears to jump on the current bandwagon of considering a royal bloodline originating from Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.I am Roman Catholic and do not take the notion of such a bloodline seriously. However, it is with this fictional aspect that the author neatly ties in the mysteries in the village of Rennes-le-Chateau.

It is worth mentioning that Father Berenger Sauniere and Marie Dernanaud are not complete works of fiction.Though their legacies are interspersed with rumor and mystery, they indeed lived in Rennes-le-Chateau in the 19th century.

The Priest's Madonna is a captivating read.Very few books will I consider rereading, but I will most certainly revisit this one.

A Literary Page Turner
Do you like a good mystery?A love story? An historical novel?A theological inquiry?In "The Priest's Madonna" Amy Hassinger manages to give us all of these in a well-paced and lush novel that never suffers from an identity crisis.This book deals with some of the same themes as Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," but in a very different way.While Brown's book satisfies in the way an order of salty French fries satisfies after a night of overindulgence, "The Priest's Madonna" satisfies like a five course French meal with an excellent bottle of wine.Sophomore novelist Hassinger writes with a maturity that is extraordinary.She uses parallel and paradox to unfold the stories of Marie (and Berenger) at the end of the 19th century and Miryam (and Yeshua) at the time of Christ.Her female protagonists have that same quality of combined strength and vulnerability with which Margaret Atwood imbues many of her most interesting female protagonists.At times I found that I wanted a bit more development of Berenger's and Yeshua's characters, but in the end I concluded that because Marie's story was told from the first person and Miryam's story was told from the personal third person, the development of the male characters was just right to evoke that sense of mystery that the female protagonists found attractive in them.Reading this book left me with the same feeling and question I had years ago when I read "Snow Falling on Cedars" - how can a book that is so descriptive and literary make me want to turn the pages so fast?

Very well done
Hassinger does a great job presenting a clear, absorbing story centering on a relationship between an enigmatic priest who has committed himself to supporting the church, and a young woman who finds herself increasingly skeptical.The young woman's voice and the life of the 19th-century French town are convicing, and the author never lets the real-life mystery of Berenger Sauniere lead the story into ridiculous speculation.The pace never drags (a real achievement for a book with open religious themes), and the book's mysteries kept me hooked. ... Read more

Product Description
In this sequel to the acclaimed thriller, THE JESUS THIEF, police find an unknown man near death, and evidence of a recent birth, at a crime scene in Central Park. Days later a celebrated scientist, Felix Rossi, holds a press conference at the prestigious University Club in New York. He announces to a startled world that the rumors about him are true.Felix did produce a human clone from DNA he stole from the Shroud of Turin.His virginal housemaid, Maggie, gave birth to the child.Ten years later, Maggie and Jess are living blissfully on Italy's Lake Maggiore in the little yellow villa that is their home, having eluded the world's pursuit. Maggie believes the man she loves died while saving Jess's life. Did he? If not, will he remember her and help her or give his allegiance to the New York billionaire with Vatican ties who wants Jess destroyed?Soon everyone must face the truth.Is Jess, her child, only a deeply loving but ordinary boy, or a reincarnation of Jesus of Nazareth, bringing a new message to the world? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

a series to read
Fiction or non-fiction? Cloning of someone from dried blood is almost possible with the technology available today. The book is second in a series and is fiction. The story is about cloning Jesus using dried blood stolen from the Shroud of Turin.

Lankford has researched well. The description of the landscapes and architectures of Italy are real. The sexual desires, religion, power and the mystery of how a human mind makes decisions is used throughout the book, but is well placed and not overdone to the point of becoming the theme of the book.

You never know how or when the character will change. The doctor, who saves the life of the private eye, commits murder without hesitation. The powerful rich man, who will do anything to retain power, realizes he cannot cheat fate. The private eye who worked for the power player becomes a protectorate of the young virgin, only to be seriously wounded, which creates a personality change to the worst. He then must return from a killer personality to the protectorate again in time to save the young Jesus. The virgin sacrifices her future to carry and then care for the cloned Jesus.
The book is excellent reading and may be closer to real life than fiction. To get full enjoyment of this book, you should read the first book "the Jesus Thief" by J R Lankford.

Solid reading, recommended
The Holy bloodline, a concept explored by the hit book 'The DaVinci Code.' - But what of Christ's modern day descendants? "The Secret Madonna" follows the theoretical search for this distant great grandson of Jesus. A tyrannical millionaire is out for hunting down this boy for his own gain, and is abusing all of his power to do so. This desire leads to a fast paced and riveting tale elaborating on the concept that has come to modern light. "The Secret Madonna" is solid reading, recommended.

A great, insightful read
The Secret Madonna picks up, story-wise, where The Jesus Thief left off, though it fast-forwards almost immediately ten years into the future. The Jesus clone who was born at the end of The Jesus Thief is now a young boy, and the story is mostly about him, and how he affects those around him. So is this boy really Jesus, come again? If he wasn't, that was bound to be a let-down. If he *was* Jesus all over again, then what have we here- second coming, and end of the world? Seemed suspiciously like the author had got into her sequel without knowing how to handle a messy situation.

Turns out the author had more than just a great premise for a book and a sequel. A scientist who steals genetic material from the Shroud of Turin was an awesome enough premise for the first book, more than enough to carry it through. But the sequel needed more, and it delivered, though this wasn't immediately apparent to me upon finishing The Secret Madonna. In fact, upon finishing this sequel, I was left with the uncomfortable feeling that either I'd missed something, or that the author had. It was me, after all.

The boy clone himself reveals, mid-way through the book, exactly why he came to be on this earth; and this revelation shows a good deal of insight on the author's part, and additionally, not just an assimilation of the messages of multiple religions, but more importantly, an understanding of how these seemingly conflicting messages reconcile with each other. If this boy *was* Jesus, (and The Secret Madonna leaves little doubt that he was), then he had a wonderful, moving reason for coming over, besides his second coming.

Turns out the author had the philosophy of her novel and sequel worked out well in advance. And this philosophy seems very much in line with a God who has not just affection and concern for His creation, but respect and reverence. Seems strange to hear of reverence for His creation on God's behalf, hmm? Respect, I believe, is never a one-way street, not even with God. And this happens to be the conception of God as enshrined in Hinduism- a God who respects the choices that His children make, even when He knows it would bring them harm. Not His style to forcibly enforce His will- no sir, He'd rather win them over, one at a time, with love. And when the boy clone in The Secret Madonna reveals to his biological mother his reason for coming down to her (and for doing some of the other things he did), it perfectly wrapped up, for me at least (though it took me some subsequent thought to figure this out), the philosophy of this book. That was the best part of the book for me.

The Secret Madonna didn't seem as fast-paced as The Jesus Thief, but "fast-paced" is a relative term here- The Secret Madonna does deliver a decent dose of thrills. And to those who still miss the frenetic pace of The Jesus Thief, The Secret Madonna certainly makes up in other ways, most prominently through the human interactions in the novel, and with the understanding, or at least the ample evidence of invested thought on the subject, that it displays with regard to ancient messages. Not to mention the vivid descriptions of sunny Italy.

If you want a good, fast-paced intelligent thriller, read The Jesus Thief. If you're looking for a more thoughtful, insightful sequel to wrap up the experience, The Secret Madonna is just what you need. There are many ways to the one God, and there is hope for all, regardless of religion. Thank you, The Secret Madonna, for reinforcing this in an entertaining way.

A page-turner!
Once in awhile, I come across a book that I can't put aside.When I sat down and opened The Secret Madonna, I intended to read one or two chapters at a time, but found myself turning page after page until the very end.Only rarely do I find a story so compelling that my own world falls away while I find myself transported to realistic settings such as this.From the sophistication of New York city to a picturesque Italian villa, I felt like I was there.And speaking of realistic, each character came alive, from the sweetly spiritual Jess to the sinister Theomund Brown.As with all good reads, there are memorable life lessons interwoven here too, along with questions about spirituality and morality.Settle down with a cup of tea and make sure your chair is comfy - you'll be reading for awhile!

A striking vision
The Secret Madonna ran side by side with me as I read its pages within the charged dimension of deepening awareness.This thriller brought to me the vision of a young man who contained within himself a bold, new message for this brave, evolving world of ours. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover the great sea of the silence of God and find yourself plunged into his infinite love.

In language poetic and meditative yet direct and simple, the author invites us to share her own pilgrimage into God's silence. Pilgrimage lasts as long as one's life, and involves purification, union with God, work and suffering, culminating in the almost miraculous experience of the divine silence. Much of Molchanie is in the way of allegory, full of visions and imagination--it is an allegorical pilgrimage.

Catherine distinguishes between silence and solitude, insisting that silence doesn't need solitude. One can remain in the silence of God and leave the door of the heart unlatched to be at the disposal of those in need.

"God offers us many silences--the silence of babyhood, the silence of childhood, the silence of youth and maturity, and finally the silence of old age."

Read about:
-- The Mysteries of Silence
-- The Multicolored Vocation of Silence
-- The Silence of Old Age
-- The End of All Waiting ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful Book...
This is a great hard to find book. I found mine in a rummage sale. Their's not much text, but the photos of Madonna are well worth trying to locate this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Order your own softcover black & white reprint of a previously owned high school yearbook. Whether you no longer have your own copy or want to surprise someone with a unique gift, the memories in this yearbook are sure to make someone smile! All the pages and images are reproduced as-is, which means your copy may show handwriting or effects of aging, and that certain pages, images, or other content may be omitted, missing, or obscured. Because this is a black & white print, any color images (excluding the cover) will print as gray. You can preview the color pages before you buy at www.classmates.com/yearbooks.Don't miss out! Bring home a piece of your history. ... Read more

Product Description
The X-rated intellectual and author of Susie Bright's Sexual Reality takes on Dan Quayle, Madonna, and the GOP in a collection of previously published essays, interviews, and reviews that also includes new writing by the sexpert. Simultaneous. 25,000 first printing. IP. Amazon.com Review
Susie Bright celebrates the first amendment, lesbianism,single motherhood and fantasizes an eventful night with Dan Quayle inthis uninhibited and quirky collection of essays, articles and bookreviews written over the past few years. Offbeat and sexy, Brightdefends Madonna, attacks Dr. Ruth and is snubbed by Camille Pagliaherself in this rather amazing and outspoken collection. Bright is gayand proud of it and considers herself a serious and first-ratepornographer. She gets into endless trouble with right-wingers andkicks and screams her way out of it thoughout these pages.Witty,fearless and thought-provoking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Info On This Title:
Since there are no Publisher's Comments or Editorial Reviews available here, I am including the following in hopes it may be of some help:


Susie Bright's Sexwise: America's Favorite X-Rated Intellectual Does Dan Quayle, Catharine MacKinnon, Stephen King, Camille Paglia, Nicholson Baker, Madonna, the Black Panthers and the GOP

ANNOTATION
Candid, campy, and sexy, Susie Bright's latest pop culture primer on sex raises more than an eyebrow as she looks at the state of sex in America. Along with essays, interviews, and reviews, Sexwise includes new writing that traces Bright's development as America's most daring (or darling?) sexpert.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Susie Bright is an American Treasure. Once again, her sharp wit and erotic imagination put a spin on modern culture unlike any other...
- Sallie Tisdale

X-rated Intellectual, Indeed!
Ah, the delectable Susie Bright.This book, though several years old, is fabulous. In it, Ms. Bright cunningly explores several themes and individuals with wit and intelligence.Her description of a discussion she had with adult film (and I do mean film) director Andrew Blake on her dislike of his lack of realism in his films' lesbian scenes is right on.Another great tale is her fantasy involving Dan Quayle.Yes, that's right, J. Danforth himself is lucky enough to have been the subject of one of Ms. Bright's sexual fantasies, or, at least, she will have us think so.

As is true of all of her books, Sexwise by Susie Bright is not to be missed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Collector's Item
I bought this when it came out.

Some of the photography is good and in most cases, the background and props/costumes used for the pictures are far more interesting than Madonna and the "sexual" themes she is painstakingly trying so hard to portray.

Cold and calculating or at the very least distant. Nothing erotic happening here, but a must for Madonna fans/collectors.

Title didn't lie
ok i have mixed feelings about this. I was wondering what's the hype about this book, and now I've read it, I still don't quite understand why people are giving too much hype over a bindful of Madonna in erotica poses? It's not even porn. I guess Madonna's point when she thought about this book flew over most of people's head. From what I see, she's telling how women are mostly associated with sex. how they are subjected. There's a topic somewhere and I doubt she was piling this just for people to yell banned for.

Oh, I applaude Madonna for having the guts this book together cause I am sure she expected what came after, the mostly bad response of the public. I guess the title really covers what's the whole book is about. I must say it's a good art form.

Overall, if you're pretty much close-minded and not quite into graphical erotica, I say you should stay away from this book.

A unique and memorable book
I bought and read this book, back in 1992. My girlfriend was really surprised and she said that she's been discussing this book with her friends, but nobody actually owned it.
The book is amazing, both outside and inside. Outside, it has a shiny wrapping and a hard alumium cover. I have never seen a book with such a cover.
It had a CD too, with the song "Erotic, erotic, put your hands all over my body".
It describes Madonna's life, from her early sexual experiences, to where she is today. It has pictures of Madonna nude, and it explains some of her views on sex.
She thinks that if you are a guy with lots of money, you can have a pretty girlfriend, even if you are not handsome.

It is a remarkable book and it will impress all of your friends to whom you show it.
So, don't hesitate, buy it. I did.

I'm lovin' it!
This is Madonna's 1992 book, and it's filled with provocative and surprising photos.It's in high demand, selling for steep prices all over the internet.It just goes to show that Madonna is still on top of her game as an artist, and she's also a beautiful model, too!Buy now while they last.

Madonna: SEX
In 1990, Madonna had, or so we thought, gone to the extreme in her sexual nature by releasing the music video for her 1990 hit single, "Justify My Love". We had all thought that Madonna had gone too far in her sexual escapades, not that I objected to it, because I did not disagree with it. From 1983 to 1990, we had all thought that she had done things that no woman, not even Cher, would even dare do. But man, were we naive or what? Because in 1992, just before the release of her EROTICA album, Madonna released her metal-spiral bound book entitled, SEX. I searched a long time for this book, and my copy, from an ebay buyer, finally arrived. After I looked through this book, I simply said to myself, "[...]" What she did from 1983 to 1990 was nothing compared to what is bound in this book.

This book covers every sexual fantasy that one might have. It goes into detail of how Madonna enjoys looking at her private area, about how Madonna fantiszied about lesbianism, and much more that is too explicit to even mention in this review. I will mention that there are a numerous amount of celebrities that make it into this book, including Tony Ward, Isabella Rossalini, Vanilla Ice, Naomi Campbell, Big Daddy Kane, Udo Kier, and much more. If you are not a Madonna fan, then this book is not for you and it is not for you to post a review on here. If you are a Madonna fan that has children running around the house, then you'll be wise enough to keep this book out of their reach. But if you are a Madonna fan, or as big of a fan as I am, then you'll be wise to purchase this book if you have not done so when it released so many years ago. ... Read more