Our Lady of the Lost and Found: A Novel of Mary, Faith, and Friendship
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Book Overview
One Monday morning in April, a middle-aged writer walks into her living room to water the plants and finds a woman standing beside her potted fig tree. Dressed in a navy blue trench coat and white Nikes, the woman introduces herself as "Mary. Mother of God.... You know. Mary." Instead of a golden robe or a crown, she arrives bearing a practical wheeled suitcase. Weary after two thousand years of adoration and petition, Mary is looking for a little R & R. She's asked in for lunch, and decides to stay a week. As the story of their visit unfolds, so does the story of Mary-one of the most complex and powerful female figures of our time-and her changing image in culture, art, history, as well as the thousands of recorded sightings that have placed her everywhere from a privet hedge to the dented bumper of a Camaro. As this Everywoman and Mary become friends, their conversations, both profound and intimate, touch upon Mary's significance and enduring relevance. Told with humor and grace, Our Lady of the Lost and Found is an absorbing tour through Mary's history and a thoughtful meditation on spirituality, our need for faith, and our desire to believe in something larger than ourselves.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0142001325
ISBN13:9780142001325
Release Date:July 2002
Publisher:Penguin Publishing Group
Length:384 Pages
Weight:0.64 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.1" x 7.6"
Age Range:18 years and up
Grade Range:Postsecondary and higher
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Heartbreakingly beautiful
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
This isn't so much a novel, as it is poetry of the heart. Her writing will make you weep, laugh and ponder the mysteries of life and love long after you've closed this book and replaced it on the shelf. Diane Schoemperlen takes human frailties exposes them to the light, and somehow transforms them into precious keepsakes. Warning: If you are looking for a lighthearted novel, despite its humour, this is not it. But if you want to find yourself truly stirred, please read this.
Profound at multiple levels.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
No matter how shallow or deep your faith (even with no faith at all), this book can move you. I would have never picked it up, but my book club chose it. When I saw the cover, I literally laughed out loud. The humorous beginning grabbed my attention. This is a book I'll never get rid of because of the many profound quotes, poignant stories, accurate church history, and the honest, vulnerable exposure of one's faith.
Simplicity
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
This book is an example of a simple tale told simply--but one that has great impact. Schoemperlen portrays the Virgin Mary as an ordinary woman, living an ordinary life in a way that is extraordinary. She tells the story without embellishment or any miraculous events, yet makes the point that such is the stuff of saints. It is a book that can be life-changing; one need not be of heroic proportions to be a hero.
Best book I've read in a loooong while!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
Unique blend of novel/reality, mysticism/history, this beautiful book is a smooth and very rewarding read. It is touching, humourous and suddenly (when least expected)sharply etched with pathos, truth and honesty. I am buying multiple copies for my family and friends to cherish. If you are of a seeking mind with any bend twords the miraculous, you will be glad you read this novel-new novel.
Wonderful Book!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
I finished this book this afternoon, and now I feel a sense of loss. Of course I can reread it, and I most certainly will, but the second reading won't be the same as the first. Like the Uncertainty Principle that Schoemperlen uses as a theme of the book, I feel forever changed as a result of having read this wonderful book. Anyone who loves reading about friendships, especially between women, will like this story. Whether you believe in the Virgin Mary or not, I highly recommend Our Lady of the Lost and Found.
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