This is the 4th Marian feast that I’ve had slated for this book review. Full of Grace: Encountering Mary in Faith, Art, and Life
The biggest reason it took so long for me to review it? It’s not a sit down & read it kind of book. Full of Grace is a beautiful coffee table book filled with essays, art and marginalia, all about Mary, the Mother of God. Fifty-nine of them to be exact; the same as the number of beads in a rosary.
This book is meant to be read, pondered, admired and then followed up on. I say that because many times she will mention something that is more related to life than history and I want to know more about it. This is actually the first book on Mary I’ve ever read so I can’t say with 100% confidence that it’s not conservatively Catholic, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t. I CAN say that I’m pretty sure it’s not intended to be.
Her essays are rich in details and history, including essays about how Mary has touched her & how Mary touches us through various apparitions. Full of Grace touches on Mary’s Jewish roots, her veneration by Muslims, the joys of motherhood, and the nature of patience all in a Marian context. It’s a good springboard for learning more about various aspects of Mary. Most of the art included is fairly old/traditional though Ms. Dupre does include several modern takes in various mediums. I was quite excited to see that she had included a difficult to find piece — Mary in some stage of nursing the infant Jesus. She also includes information about each piece of art.
Full of Grace: Encountering Mary in Faith, Art, and Life is a lovely book that I think would be a great introduction to Mary for Christians who do not understand the devotion Catholics have to her. I think it’s also a great source for looking at Marian art. In addition, I think it could be a great starting point for anyone wanting to learn more about Mary. Thank you to the author, Judith Dupre, for sending me a copy of this gorgeous book!
