The Missing Madonna - Prefix for ABC Tales

‘The Missing Madonna’ is a sequel to ‘The Child Madonna’, part of a trilogy of novels taking the traditional biblical stories and giving a fictional interpretation with an authentic historical background. The purpose is to use the stories to reflect current issues, particularly associated with human rights violations and the themes of justice and compassion relevant in today’s world.

‘The Missing Madonna’ is divided into three parts. Part 1 is seen through the eyes of a totally fictional character, Ruth, a young woman who is a neighbour of Mari in Bethlehem some two years after the end of the previous novel. This deals with the issue of genocide, reflected in the Herodian ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ recorded in Matthew’s gospel. Part 2 is an account of the flight of the ‘Holy Family’ into exile in Egypt, reflecting the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers today, and seen through the eyes of Mari and her husband. Part 3 recounts the return to Judea after the death of Herod and the eventual settling back at Nazareth, concluding with the only recorded biblical incident in Jesus’ childhood.

‘The Child Madonna’ was published as a hardback by Melrose Books Publishing House in 2009 and therefore it was not possible to take any comments on ABC Tales into account by changing anything, though I might be able to take suggestions on board from here and the book review website ‘Youwriteon’ if it moves to a paperback publication. However, ‘The Missing Madonna’, although completed, is in first draft form, and suggestions and comments are welcomed before I do (yet another) final revision and start to seek a publisher who will have a greater marketing capability.

The third book of the trilogy, ‘The Madonna and the Political Prisoner’ which is half written at the present time, will cover the better known New Testament account of the final years of Jesus’ ministry, his arrest and execution, seen through the eyes of Mari and his sometimes hostile and puzzled brothers and sisters.

Anyway, here goes. For those interested in this type of historical novel, a well known story interpreted from a very different angle, I’ll be posting the chapters from time to time over the next few weeks (with a couple of weeks gap in late May when I’m on holiday from my computer!).