The Harlot Saint

by Susan McGregor

St. Mary of Edessa, aka The Harlot Saint, began her life as Mariah, a daughter of a wealthy family. When both of her parents died while she was still young she was taken in by her uncle, a hermit who would one day become St. Abraham. Through his teachings, she learned the way of Christian living. Yet, as a young woman, she gave into her feelings for a man, a priest no less. Cast out and forced into a life of prostitution, Mariah struggled to find her way to forgiveness, redemption, and finally home.

ebook

First published May 18, 2015

Reviews

[Patricia Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to the author, the Harlot Saint, Mary of Odessa, died in 371 AD. At the early age of seven she loses her parents and is taken to live with her uncle, a monk. In a primitive cave, she learns to live by her uncle’s values which are devotion to God, prayer, and complete selflessness. About the time she becomes a woman, a visiting monk is smitten by her and works hard to gain her affection so he can seduce her. He succeeds and she fully expects him to marry her, but marriage is not on his agenda and he leaves Mary devastated. Because of her strict upbringing in the ways of Christianity, she feels she has sinned greatly with no chance of forgiveness and leaves her uncle’s home for a life of prostitution. Among the many men who become her patrons, she meets several who are special to her.
McGregor retells the story of Mary of Odessa in an easy, and at times, lyrical way. I joined Mary on her journey that reached rock bottom as she turned her back on everything she held true and honest. Even as she falls into self-loathing and spirals downward into a life of alcohol, sex and violence, I wanted to see if she’d make it back to her former life. A truly enjoyable read.

[Bookend Family · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this story! It is inspiring, emotional, and uplifting. This is the story of a young girl who is born to privilege, but after her mother dies giving birth to her, and then her beloved father grows ill several years later and also dies. While the girl is heartbroken she is also looking forward to the adventure of living in a new distant land with her Uncle, who has become her caregiver.

The distant land turns out to be very humbling. I loved that this character when faced with some very humbling experiences did not become angry, but was grateful for the expansion of her understanding of others and the world around her.

There is much more involved with this tale as she grows older, make mistakes, learns from them, and repents. It is an aspiring read, that is written very well. The story moved along seamlessly and kept me riveted to the pages. The author did a fantastic job of bringing each person within the pages to life. I highly recommend this book and would love to hear what you thought of it.

Review by: Stacy Palm
Full Reviews Available: http://www.thebookendfamily.weebly.com

[Stacy Palm · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason the Amazon link doesn't appear to be working correctly on here. You can purchase the book on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Harlot-Saint-St...