Raised in an atheist household, Sally Read nevertheless saw images of the Blessed Virgin Mary from earliest childhood--and they remained with her in the most remarkable ways. Conscious of the conflict between her feminist values and what came to be a fascination with Marian art, Read--through tumultuous relationships, loneliness, and distant places--began a unique quest to discover the true essence of Mary.

These pages contain the strange, raw, and epiphany-filled stories that led to Read's dramatic nine-month conversion from atheism to Catholicism. Focusing not only on Read's life but also on the lives of others who, knowingly or unknowingly, encountered the Virgin, this literary memoir is a testimony of how a Mother patiently brought one child home to her Son--and slowly revealed her own heart.