This book is filled with such sweeping generalities and general statements that sometimes it is hard to take Sheen seriously. In fact, this is one of the criticisms levied against Sheen by Thomas Reeves in his book America's Bishop. Reeves notes that many of Sheen's works include so many broad assertions and generalities that Sheen often had to defend and recast some of the things he wrote.

Just a few of the grand assumptions Sheen makes are things such as, since Jesus taught so much to the Apostles in the span of 3 years, just imagine what he taught His mother over the span of 30 years. How does anyone know what he taught Mary while he lived with her? Scripture is silent on such issues, but scripture does tell us that Jesus became actively involved in his public ministry after his baptism in the Jordan. Any imaginative specualtion about Jesus' years with Mary is just that, speculation.

Moreover, in the beginning Sheen attributes some verses in the book of Proverbs describing wisdom to Mary. These are new developments to me! To assume that Mary was innocently playing during the acts of creation by God is quite a grand leap in logic. At one point Sheen remarks that this Wisdom being discussed in these verses is Jesus, but in the beginning of his book he says these verses are describing Mary.

Also, implicit in Sheen's book is the idea that Mary is the pinnacle of human creation; The capstone of God's handiwork if you will. I have no qualms by saying that Mary was one of the holiest, if not the holiest person born of man who ever lived, but I don't place her at the pinnacle of human creation. Sheen's remarks about Mary being the quintessential woman and what every man desires as the perfect mate, and what every woman aspires to be in earnest are grand assumptions indeed.

Nevertheless, I did appreciate a few aspects of this book. I loved how Sheen illustrated that every Christian who ignores Mary's epithet of mother of God can be classified into four groups all condemned as heretics. All Christians need to recognize that Mary is in fact the mother of God and needs to be called by that distinguished title; To not do so is to rob her of the distinction she claimed for herself in the first chapter of Luke when she stated that all generations will call her blessed. Second, I liked how Sheen debunks the view that Joseph was an old man when he married Mary. Sheen does an excellent job of showing why such a view is erroneous and implausible.

Like I stated at the beginning, I am a great admirer of Sheen and love his literary works, but this book had too many defincencies and does not live up to the quality of some of Sheen's other works. Read this book to gain a greater appreciation for Mary and to contemplate her role in the New Testament, but do not take everything Sheen writes at face value.

No matter. This is a beautiful book on Mary, and I heartily recommend it (along with "A Woman Clothed with the Sun" as a delightful companion piece).