In a sequel to the cult classic Riding in Cars with Boys, Beverly Donofrio has written a pitch–perfect conversion story. Looking for Mary is an irreverent, genuinely moving memoir of one woman’s search for faith and meaning—and forgiveness from her son and God for being the neglectful, too–young mother she’d once been.
Entering her fortieth year, Donofrio, a “lapsed Catholic,” inexplicitly begins obsessively collecting so much Virgin Mary kitsch at yard sales her house could be considered a shrine. Her search for kitsch, however, soon becomes a spiritual quest and leads her to the holy city of Medjugorje. There, she learns that if you’re looking for Mary, Mary has already found you. She leaves her pride there and returns to her life with love and hope. In Looking for Mary, Donofrio offers a universal story about a woman who—in a quest for God—finds herself.
Reviews
“Candid, entertaining, and abundantly enlightening, Looking for Mary sizzles with the fervor of the seeker and the sought-after, and delivers between its covers a sweet and salty miracle.”
– Elle
“Deeply personal and wonderfully written, this book invites the reader to confront skeptical attitudes about religion, religious practices, and religious dogmas and step into the divine light.”
– Library Journal
“Surprisingly moving, her sincerity and intensity of feeling are remarkably, palpably real. As she becomes more living, forgiving, more grateful, more aware of her own blessings, it is impossible not to feel the same.”
– The Boston Globe
“Tender and funny…reverent and ribald, harried and hopeful…a witty memoir of a troubled soul grapping with her failings and the deepest mysteries of salvation.”
– The Denver Sunday Post
“This chronicle does not read like an exercise in wish–fulfillment. It feels rather like the story of a woman who, after decades of seeking, found her mother, and through her, discovered herself.”
– Publishers Weekly, starred review