Maria of Agreda

Mystical Lady in Blue

De: Marilyn H. Fedewa

Narrado por: Kelley Hazen

Stories of Maria of Agreda's exceptional attributes spread from her cloistered convent in seventeenth-century Agreda, Spain, to the court in Madrid, and beyond. Without leaving her village, the abbess impacted the kingdom, her church, and the New World. Based upon her transcendent visionary experiences, Sor Maria chronicled the life of Mary, mother of Jesus of Nazareth, in the Mystical City of God. This work was temporarily condemned during the Spanish Inquisition.

In America, reports emerged that she had miraculously appeared to Jumano Native Americans - a feat corroborated by witnesses in Spain, Texas, and New Mexico, where she is known as the legendary "Lady in Blue."

Today, Sor Maria is lauded in Spain as one of the most influential women in its history, and in the United States as an inspiring pioneer. Fedewa's biography of this spirited abbess integrates voluminous autobiographical, historical, and literary sources published by and about Maria of Agreda.

©2009 University of New Mexico Press (P)2013 Redwood Audiobooks

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Marilyn Fedewa has written a stirring portrait of María of Ágreda, a brilliant, remarkable player in major spiritual and secular events of her age." (Kenneth A. Briggs, former religion editor for The New York Times)

"A fascinating biography of an extraordinary woman told from the perspective of her 17th-century Spanish religious culture." (Clark A. Colahan, author of Visions of Sor María de Ágreda: Writing Knowledge and Power)

"Beyond any doubt, this book by Dr. Fedewa is an outstanding contribution to the researching of the Catholic heritage of the American Southwest, especially that of Texas and New Mexico. This work is one that should bring the author many accolades." ( Southwestern Historical Quarterly)

Devout faith

Amazing story about Maria’s miraculous journeys and literary writings. I am perplexed as to why she is not a saint. I feel a longing to pray to her that she may heal the fractured people of my state of New Mexico and of the Vatican.

Compelling and Fascinating religious figure

Where does Maria of Agreda rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've always been a fan of religion and this book is a fascinating read and look into the life of special religious figure. Her courage and steadfast resolve shined throughout this book and led the reader down a path of excitement and deep thought. Narration was perfect with the ambient theme of the story and allowed the story to flow easily through my ears, often making me wish the drive home was longer.

Any additional comments?

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."

A must read if starting on own spiritual journey!

If you are starting on your own spiritual journey to learn about the Catholic faith, this is an amazing book. It gives a glimpse into the life and struggles of this beautiful lady in blue. Saints are the role models that we need to look to when we are going through our own struggles because they show us how to persevere in the journey when it gets hard. They will hold our hand on our way to sainthood.

Great book!

This book was very intriguing and informative! I highly recommend it to any faithful Catholic.

Interesting look at overlooked historical figure

Where does Maria of Agreda rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the first audible book I've listened to, and all other audiobooks I've listened to have been fiction, so ranking is misleading.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Maria of Agreda?

I found the account of the Native people seeing a mystical lady in blue and then identifying a portrait of Maria of Agreda as well as the Moor who said he was converted by a lady in blue and then identifying Maria of Agreda as she walked by with two other nuns at the convent particularly interesting especially considering her well-documented accounts of traveling to other places without leaving the convent. It really raised some interesting questions for me.

What about Kelley Hazen’s performance did you like?

I thought Kelley Hazen was the spot on best choice for the voice for this historical account. Her voice was soothing without at all putting me to sleep, and she added enough emphasis to keep it moving as a story. I ran through the book in three days (despite the over 10 hour length).

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The accounts of Maria's early life were an interesting window into how a young girl became a nun and a mystic. I was amazed at the story of how her parents met and then also how they separated to start different monastic orders. The religious zeal with which people lived their lives in Spain in the 17th century is truly stunning.

Any additional comments?

I am not a Catholic and had never heard of Maria of Agreda before discovering this book. Despite that, I found the story engaging. And while well-researched, it still moved along well as a story. I thought the part with the Inquisition could have been more well-developed as it seemed like there was a lot of danger and then everything was suddenly fine. The same was true for the plot that Maria was somehow implicated in. I was left a little confused and unclear about how it resolved itself.

But overall I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of historical biographies or for people who have an interest in the Catholic Church and their Saints (or how a Saint is Canonized).

I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.