The Testament of Mary

Beautifully brought to life by three-time Academy Award-winner Meryl Streep.

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Colm Toibin’s The Testament of Mary is the moving story of one of the most famous mothers in history, the Virgin Mary.

Years after her son’s crucifixion, Mary finds herself alone, fearful, while attempting to reconstruct the events leading to her son's cruel death. With no interest in collaborating with the authors of the Gospel and during a time fraught with upheaval and transition, she tries to tell the truth, revealing herself as a figure of towering moral integrity, and a historical woman portrayed in all her humanity.

' beautiful and daring . . . it takes its power from the surprises of its language, its almost shocking characterization, its austere refusal of consolation.' – Mary Gordon, The New York Times Book Review

'The Testament of Mary is sort of an ideal audiobook…. Streep's voice is familiar to generations of moviegoers, but its beauty as an instrument can be appreciated in this context as it often cannot be in films…. The result: simplicity, honesty, a clarity that draws us into the emotional landscape of the book through the beauty of the writing' – Charles Isherwood, The New York Times Book Review

© 2024 Picador (Audiobook): 9781035067138

Release date

Audiobook: 17 October 2024