Anna, Woman of Miracles: The Story of the Grandmother of Jesus

Like the other reviewers, it is an easy read. However, I find this refreshing for late night reading. My day is much too hectic and this book was just right. The storyline was informative for the era and kept me interested. So little is written about women of ancient times- this story gave me insight to their lives.

ANNA WOMAN OF MIRACLES is a story loosely based on the life of St. Ann who was the mother of Mary, and the grandmother of Jesus. Tradition tells us that Anne was the wife of Joachim and that they were a childless couple. While praying one day, an angel appeared to Anne and told her that she would have a child. She was overjoyed and promised to dedicate the child to God. After being married for twenty years, she gave birth at the age of forty to Mary, who became the mother of Jesus. This is what is traditionally accepted to be Ann's story or legend in many Christian religions.ANNA WOMAN OF MIRACLES takes place between the years 43 B.C. to about 12 A.D. The authors follow the traditional legend and then build a story where Anna is a mystical healer and a member of the Essenes religious sect. She marries three different times and has several daughters and names each one Mary. The authors also give Anna, a life long friendship with Julian; a Roman official who often helps her during troubled times. This book has two authors. Vivian Van Vick, the original author was a scholar and teacher. According to the book's introduction, "She spent five years researching Saint Anne's life in German, French and Latin documents, and in translations from the Aramaic. She originally planned to write a biography, but quickly learned that Saint Anne's story is mostly legendary, and even contradictory at points, though much of the legend is supported by renowned religious paintings in Europe."Carol Haenni, the co-author states that, "I have been a student of the material in the psychic "readings" of the Christian mystic, Edgar Cayce for more than twenty-five years." She goes on to say that she knew the story and wove the Cayce readings, and gleanings from other sources into the novel. The scene of the angel appearing to Mary was taken from the "visions of Ann Emmerich, a German nun who died in 1824." I thought that the book was intriguing and the authors were very respectful in the way the material was presented. The writing was a little simplistic and at times, seemed to be aimed at younger readers. I also found parts of the story very unbelievable; however, the historic research was good and gave the story a rich feeling. I had a sense of what the culture and life would be like for a Jewish woman who was living at that time in history.