Mary Sees All

Mary Sees All: The race to save Jesus from the Cross, is a fast paced Christian novel set near Jerusalem during the fateful week that Jesus was crucified. Mary of Bethany has a unique point of view, a lyrical voice, and a gift for drama. Both outrageous and outcast, she is an unforgettable heroine in this, the first of four books set in biblical times.

This book truly does describe a race to keep Jesus from dying. The twists and turns of the story are unexpected. The tone of the book is adventurous. Jesus’s friends exhibit extraordinary resourcefulness as they work together, first to understand their teacher, then to protect him, and finally to escape being arrested themselves. Mary is a seer, known for her gift of prophesy, but considered too strange to be taken seriously. Her sister, Martha is pragmatic, generous, but like a wild animal when someone or something threatens the people she loves. Lazarus, on the other hand, is depressed, having recently spent time being dead. Together with a vivid supporting cast, they tell the dramatic story of Holy Week in a fresh and compelling way.

This Bethany's People historical fiction series is meticulously researched. Kemp makes each scene reflect both current biblical scholarship and ancient understandings about society and spirituality. The Bethany's People series, however, is free of jargon, doctrine, or any expectation that the reader knows scripture or the underlying story. The four books can be read in any order, but by publishing Mary Sees All first the author is throwing the reader into the middle of this fascinating historical period. Book 2: Martha Finds Rest will tell the story of the early church and the destruction of Jerusalem. Book 3: Lazarus Dies First will go back to the madness of the Herodian kings and the Zealots that opposed them. The final volume, Book 4: Mark Goes Everywhere leaves Palestine for the mission field, recounting the  rarely told story of how people from North Africa came to faith, living out the story of Jesus with their own customs and traditions. The author believes that bringing Jesus’s relationships, actions, and teachings, into sharp focus against the backdrop of that distant era, can help any reader, no matter what their spiritual background, discover a deeper and more authentic understanding of God’s grace and how we ought to live.