Book Review: The Rosary

The Rosary: Keeping Company With Jesus and Mary by Karen Edmisten

I first met Karen way back when the internet was young - well before her youngest daughter Ramona was born, and Ramona is seven now (how did that happen?). She has since become a dear online friend, so I just had to buy her first book.

The Rosary does just what it says on the cover - explains how praying the Rosary helps us to spend time with Jesus and his mother - but it also does a lot more. It is the perfect introduction to the Rosary, both for Catholics and non-Catholics (you don't have to be Catholic to find this a worthwhile form of prayer), a shot in the arm for those who struggle with the Rosary, and an encouragement for those who already know and love it. Karen also gives the most beautifully clear and gentle explanation of the role of Mary in Catholic spirituality that I have seen (and no, Catholics do not worship Mary, ever).

The thing I love most about this book, though, is that it is so very much Karen talking, in her own unique voice. It isn't a lecture about the Rosary, it is Karen sitting down and sharing her knowledge and experiences of the Rosary over a metaphorical cup of coffee. If you want to get a taste of her gentle, sane voice, visit her blog. Or better still, buy her book. And enjoy.