Divine
Mary Madison was a child of unspeakable horrors, a young woman society wanted to forget. Now a divine power has set Mary free to bring life-changing hope and love to battered and abused women living in the shadow of the nations capital.
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published March 20th 2006)
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Sep 09, 2011
Kristy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
counselors, Christian fiction lovers
Shelves:
read-in-2010,
contemporary-fiction
This book is a modern-day story of Mary Magdalene. Kingsbury mentions this in the intro. This one, however, is a fictional story - about a brave woman (actually it follows the story of two women) who has lived through some horrific situations. The main character is retelling the story of her life, how she was saved by Jesus. I won't give any more details..I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. However, I do have a few things to say:
* Kingsbury does not shy away from the diff...more
* Kingsbury does not shy away from the diff...more
A very dear student of mine gave me a copy of this book to read: Kingsbury is one of her favorite authors and they are e-mail correspondants. For my Contemporary Fiction class, each student selected a contemporary author to report on, and this student naturally chose Karen Kingsbury.
I am not the usual audience for a Christian fiction novel, and so the book did not work for me as it would for a reader who is looking for a conversion story. However, it is a typical conversion story (abused girl w...more
I am not the usual audience for a Christian fiction novel, and so the book did not work for me as it would for a reader who is looking for a conversion story. However, it is a typical conversion story (abused girl w...more
BOOK SUMMARY:
Mary Madison (a modern-day parallel to Mary Magdalene) runs a Washington, D.C. shelter for those who have suffered domestic abuse. She counsels and aids the women who come into her life through a combination of education as well as personal experience. When a 23-year-old woman named Emma comes to her shelter on the brink of committing suicide, Mary asks her if she would like to hear the story of her past. Much of the novel is then told through Mary's account of her unthinkable past...more
Mary Madison (a modern-day parallel to Mary Magdalene) runs a Washington, D.C. shelter for those who have suffered domestic abuse. She counsels and aids the women who come into her life through a combination of education as well as personal experience. When a 23-year-old woman named Emma comes to her shelter on the brink of committing suicide, Mary asks her if she would like to hear the story of her past. Much of the novel is then told through Mary's account of her unthinkable past...more
This is the reaction I had after I had finished reading it and had a few hours to think about it. I posted this to my facebook page:
Last night I started reading a book by Karen Kingsbury called Divine and I finished it today. It's all I've been able to think about. It is a story about a modern day Mary Magdalene. A woman who had her own demons and was rescued by Jesus. At one point in the story Peter is mentioned. "The problem was that once in a while Peter had a tendency to take his eyes off of...more
Last night I started reading a book by Karen Kingsbury called Divine and I finished it today. It's all I've been able to think about. It is a story about a modern day Mary Magdalene. A woman who had her own demons and was rescued by Jesus. At one point in the story Peter is mentioned. "The problem was that once in a while Peter had a tendency to take his eyes off of...more
Even a few hours after finishing this book, I can't believe I'm actually assigning only 1 star to a book written by one of my favorite authors. [sigh]. There's just no way around it... I refused to quit in the middle because of my personal rule to never leave a book unfinished... but my hope for a redeeming conclusion fell flat.
For years I steered clear of Christian fiction for all the reasons proven by this book: cheesy analogies, "overnight" conversions, and over-the-top religious conversatio...more
For years I steered clear of Christian fiction for all the reasons proven by this book: cheesy analogies, "overnight" conversions, and over-the-top religious conversatio...more
This is a book for anyone who thinks God does not have a plan for each of us. Yes bad things happen but God is always with us. Sometimes we make bad choices and it is not until we leave the situation that we see our part in it.Other times we have no say in things, but we are never alone. Mary was a young girl whose mother was a prostitue and a drug addict. She ended up being kidnapped and ensalved for 5 years in a basement. She was sold to older men everyday for those long five years. She was re...more
Divine is a story that is both sad and happy. It is about a woman named Mary Madison that goes around telling woman, who've been abused or have lived a life in drugs and prostitution, about Jesus and how much He loves you. She has shelters all around the city for woman to come and learn and to feel safe.But what makes her a special and different woman is that she knows exactly what these woman are going through. Because it all happened to her. One of Mary's cases, Emma, is in need of her help. E...more
Feb 05, 2013
Liz
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all abused/battered women
Recommended to Liz by:
bn free friday
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Apr 27, 2011
KD Shimomura
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Faith-fiction fans
Recommended to KD by:
Free NOOKbook
This book starts off with some really strong radical Christian propaganda. The author invents a number of statistics that are completely unrealistic about Abstinence only education at a senate hearing and rambles on for an extended period concerning the politics surrounding it. While it is just a scene, it is enough to sicken someone who keeps their feet on the ground concerning the education and mental state of the youth today. I personally found this scene unnecessary and nearly deleted the bo...more
Mary Madison is a strong woman who has been through so much in her life. After discovering her love for Jesus, her goal in life was to help battered women change their lives. She did this by taking someone, like Emma, under her wing and explaining the story of her life. Mary's difficult life began at age 5 with a mother who was a prostitute, drug user and homeless while trying to raise a daughter. The things that she went through were unspeakable. Every time she got a "break" problems would aris...more
Jun 10, 2011
Susan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Susan by:
Free NookBook
Karen Kingsbury has a way of pulling you into the passion of her stories. The way in which she describes the life situations makes you feel as though you are there. This was a hard book for me to read because of the tragic subjects it deals with, but I also could not stop reading. Even if I do not believe the same way religiously that is “preached” within the story, I can gain a great understanding of those who do as well as interject my own belief of God’s roll in my life. If you do not believe...more
All I can say is "Wow." For being an e-book freely given, this story just overwhelmed me. I haven't cried over a book in a long time, but this one definitely touched me enough to start the waterworks.
Karen Kingsbury is exceptional in her writing of this book. She carries you through the life of Mary Madison with such feeling as it is converyed to a young mother struggling to find her way though a similar lifestyle until she finds her way with the love of the Lord.
To be ever faithful and full o...more
Karen Kingsbury is exceptional in her writing of this book. She carries you through the life of Mary Madison with such feeling as it is converyed to a young mother struggling to find her way though a similar lifestyle until she finds her way with the love of the Lord.
To be ever faithful and full o...more
Once again, Karen Kingsbury has done a marvelous job of dealing with a very difficult subject, abuse. I have been involved in the foster care system as a foster parent and have dealt with some of the issues covered in this story, so it was a very emotional, but satisfying, read for me. Karen does an excellent job of letting you into the hearts and minds of her characters; you feel like they are your friends. Her writing style is simple, but clear, and she is a master at letting you feel the tens...more
There is a paragraph in this book that so aptly describes the message Karen kingsbury so skillfully portrays: "That is the love of Christ ... Full and whole, without judgment or reservation. Unconditional. When you fall, Jesus holds out a hand. When you turn away, He stands at the door of your heart, waiting, always waiting."
One woman's gut-wrenching journey to freedom inspires many others; her nightmare story becomes another's hope. Mary Madison's ultimate divine redemption mirrors that of Mary Magdalene of old, and as she has been the inspiration for many women throughout the church age, the modern-day counterpart in the character of Mary Madison is no different. Her story evokes a rollercoaster ride of painful and exhilarating emotions, yet the divine love of Christ shining through is no work of fiction. Many rea...more
Divine was a good book. Well written and captivating. I appreciated that the author did NOT make it graphic in scenes that could have easily been. The topic was horrific enough without having it detailed. I enjoyed it, until the last couple of chapters. It fell flat. I am a Christian and I believe in Christ, but I think the author took the idea of following Jesus a bit too far. She made Mary and Nigel out to be a nun and a priest. They got to a point where the only thing they wanted do was follo...more
(Taken from the back of the book)
"At the crossroads of her life, only one power set Mary free and give her a lifetime of love and hope."
Karen Kingsbury tried to draw a comparison between Mary Magdalene and a modern day Mary. Its a horrific story of two women. Its a story of finding the love Jesus Christ has for each of us and how one can move from hopelessness and find true hope and joy.
Kingsbury covers an extremely difficult subject. This book gives you insight into real life, feelings, situati...more
"At the crossroads of her life, only one power set Mary free and give her a lifetime of love and hope."
Karen Kingsbury tried to draw a comparison between Mary Magdalene and a modern day Mary. Its a horrific story of two women. Its a story of finding the love Jesus Christ has for each of us and how one can move from hopelessness and find true hope and joy.
Kingsbury covers an extremely difficult subject. This book gives you insight into real life, feelings, situati...more
From the first page, I was totally engrossed in this book and read it in just under 24 hours. I couldn't put it down. As a teacher, I see children walk through my classroom each day. I know that some are not living in a safe, functional environment. This book reminds me of my responsibility to reach out with the love of Jesus to these children. It is my prayer that I will be one of the "shining lights" that has been placed into their chaotic lives. For adults, this book is a dramatic reminder th...more
Whoa, this book was so naive for a book about battered women. I mean, all Christians have "Jesus eyes" as soon as they accept Christ? Really? I don't remember Paul or John mentioning that...
The story line wasn't bad but there a few "holes" and I quickly grew tired of "all you need is Jesus" and "only Jesus can rescue you." I mean, yeah, it's true, but it just made for a rough read.
If I didn't know any better I'd wonder if I myself was a Christian. I mean I wasn't joyous and gentle and sin-free t...more
The story line wasn't bad but there a few "holes" and I quickly grew tired of "all you need is Jesus" and "only Jesus can rescue you." I mean, yeah, it's true, but it just made for a rough read.
If I didn't know any better I'd wonder if I myself was a Christian. I mean I wasn't joyous and gentle and sin-free t...more
This is an amazing book. I love the way Mary Madison told her story. The imagery of the voices in both Mary and Emma's heads is a reminder of how demons can influence our thoughts. The parallels between Mary Madison and Mary Magdalene are very evident and makes us more compassionate towards the Mary in the New Testament.
My favorite part of the book was the way Nigel showed Mary Jesus' love. The narrative made it very clear there are different kinds of love. The decisions by Mary and Nigel to fol...more
My favorite part of the book was the way Nigel showed Mary Jesus' love. The narrative made it very clear there are different kinds of love. The decisions by Mary and Nigel to fol...more
So far pretty "Godly." This is a very spiritual book. A contemporary view of Mary Magdelene. In this book the "Mary" character was horribly abused and fell into drugs, abuse and sex. She eventually found help in the form of a man who "loved" her and helped her find Jesus. She then becomes someone who helps others who share a similar situation. Her story is told in all its horror to a woman who also needed salvation. Good book even with all the spiritual and Jesus references. The writing is good....more
Okay so this book is fairly classic Karen Kingsbury. My beef with the book isn't the character development or the story of the main character its that for me its too preachy. I love good Christian Fiction but I like that to be woven into the story not dripping off of every page. The story of Mary, the main character, is compelling and heartbreaking and worth telling. It is supposed to be a modern day story of Mary Magdalene and on that it does a good job. I was ready for it to be over though by...more
Jan 23, 2012
Dianna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Dianna by:
I am a fan
Shelves:
christian-fiction,
favorites
This is the story of two women. Mary, who was at one time an abused woman who was addicted to drugs. She now runs a shelter that changes the lives of women who are now going through the same thing. Emma, the abused drug addicted mother of two who desperately needs help.
This book takes you along the journeys of both of these two women. It shows you how bad abuse can be, why women allow themselves to be abused. It also shows the tough road the recovery process can be. As always, Kingsbury relies h...more
This book takes you along the journeys of both of these two women. It shows you how bad abuse can be, why women allow themselves to be abused. It also shows the tough road the recovery process can be. As always, Kingsbury relies h...more
Sad story of child sexual abuse with positive Christian/redemptive outcome. Written well enough, but not a challenging read by any stretch of the imagination... so much white space on the pages I was turning them every few seconds. I'd like to think it could be an encouragement to anyone who has been a victim of abuse, human trafficking, pedophilia or even drug addiction, which is also interwoven, but I'm not certain how realistic it would seem to anyone in that life. Makes frequent use of typic...more
This is the first book in the "Christian fiction" realm I've read. The writing was decent, the story pretty good in a page-turning, 'what happens next?' sense, but it's all wrapped just too awfully darned tidily for my I-was-an-English-major self: and then the love of Jesus saved them! I feel the passion and love of the author, but as a literary device I didn't find that it worked. I realize that literary criticism may not be the appropriate lens through which to view faith-based writing, but th...more
This was a great book. very inspirational. Due to my profession, I wanted to read it to see better how people who have been abused start the path to being free. I couldn't put it down. It follows the story on Mary who looks like she has everything going for her...a Phd, helps in shelters, and speaks infront of Congress...who could believe the horrors she had to get through to get to that position. Mary now, wiht the help of Jesus, tells her story to women in a shelter to inspire them to gain eve...more
AMAZING! I honestly cannot believe how powerful this book is! I truly fell in love with the passionate and faith-driven Nigel... he really made a difference in Mary's and so many other peoples lives. I know that this story is loosely based on a true story (one that no one really knows very much about) but the powerful parts that the author imagined or took from truth was truly terrifying but equally inspiring!! Probably the first time I have realized the absolute power of God! I cried, laughed a...more
First off, if you are not a faithful person and don't enjoy that genre then please just don't read it. I don't enjoy sci-fi, so I don't read it. I don't read it and then give it bad reviews, that's just senseless.
I'll be honest. I only downloaded this book because it was featured on B&N's Free Friday. But I'm SO GLAD that I did.
*Spoiler Ahead*
I was worried when I read the first few pages, I'll be honest. It starts off with Mary Madison, the man character, speaking before members of Congress...more
I'll be honest. I only downloaded this book because it was featured on B&N's Free Friday. But I'm SO GLAD that I did.
*Spoiler Ahead*
I was worried when I read the first few pages, I'll be honest. It starts off with Mary Madison, the man character, speaking before members of Congress...more
I quit reading this almost halfway through. Thinking about the horrible things this woman went through was too disturbing for me and left me feeling sick (hence the 1 star rating). I won't read a book where I know the Spirit is being chased away and for me that's what it was doing. Sadly, the things this woman went through really happens, though I would hope the intensity and severity is rare. I need something spiritually uplifting to read now, to get those bad thoughts and feelings gone. Confer...more
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FROM AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America’s #1 inspirational novelist. There are more than 15 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 40 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.
Karen has a true love for her readers, and she has nearly 1...more
More about Karen Kingsbury...
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America’s #1 inspirational novelist. There are more than 15 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 40 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.
Karen has a true love for her readers, and she has nearly 1...more
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