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I found “Through the Wild heart of Mary “by Gail Faith Edwards to be a very spiritually enlightening and deeply personal book. It helped me in some cases to rectify, in others to at least understand, the many conflicts that exist between myself and the Catholic Church in which I was raised; abandonment being the most identifiable. The first 6 years of my life were spent in a close and loving 1st and 2nd generation Portuguese/Italian neighborhood surrounded by a community of family and friends. The doors were always open and there was an abundance of cousins to play with…forget about getting into any mischief, there was always a relative watching! This neighborhood where my grandparents lived and that my father and then I and my sister grew up in was originally a large farm that my great grandparents managed, eventually the owner of the farm opened a mill, the farm was divided into large lots, and each lot contained a 4 family house. These houses were occupied by the immigrant workers of the company and a small, familiar community grew out of that. Behind each of these homes were large gardens, some raised chickens, all shared. The description of Ms. Edwards Italian village that opens this book, reminds me so much of what it was like on Sundays in the little “village “of my childhood. On Sundays the bells of our church rang all day! The women would start making a large “roast” (beef, pork, chicken, traditional sausage, all kinds of vegetables) early in the morning for the mid-day meal, letting it roast slowly while everyone walked down the street to church. The Sunday morning air was filled with the heavenly scent of all that cooking! As a child I enjoyed Mass even though it was all in Latin and I couldn’t understand a thing! I loved the hymns, the way the colors would change along with the church seasons, the smell of the incense…. After Mass all returned home for a big meal and visiting, Sunday afternoon was for visiting and relaxing. Even after my family moved just several miles away into a “modern” neighborhood we still kept the tradition of visiting my grandparents every Sunday for a meal and stories of the “old days”. Unfortunately, unlike the daily life in Ms. Edward’s village, this beautiful life style happened on Sundays only as everyone was back to punching the company clock at the mill on Monday morning.
We moved to our “new” neighborhood the year I started first grade and to our new church. By second grade I was starting to notice things about the church…First, where were all the girls and women?? How come my friends who were boys got to be Alter Boys but no girls allowed? Why no women priests? Ok, there were the Nuns but I never met one that cracked a smile! They were all so stern and unapproachable! Then came Vatican II, now Mass was in english and that was good, but I was at the age when I began to notice how punitive, judgmental and exclusionary the church was in general and towards woman in particular, and nobody could or would give any insight into how or why, never mind what was being taught in catechism classes…”it is all a mystery” was how my questions were answered! I hung in until I passed confirmation (8th grade) and then left the church. Often I would miss the cultural connection I felt with the church, return for short periods of time only to leave again feeling diminished and alienated.
I began my reawakening to the beauty of Mary, the Divine Feminine and my own cultural beginnings while I was taking an herbal medicine class with Ms. Edwards. She first spoke of Mary and the Divine Feminine in the first lessons of the class. It was a slow reawakening but the seed was planted and I was interested. Next, I was captivated by Ms. Edward’s beautiful readings from the “Our Lady of the Green” audio class and was further drawn in. It was when I started to re-listen to the community herbalist classes this fall that I was overcome with the feeling that I needed to read this book!
The introduction of this book gives us a picture of the harmonious and beautifully grounded life the people of Ms. Edwards’s village live. In tune with one another, nature and their spirituality; it is a way of life that resonates deep in my soul and one that I hope to be able live one day.
In the next section Ms. Edwards brings the reader back into time to examine the ancient beginnings of our culture, from Stone Age to the peaceful matriarchal cultures thousands of years before Christ through their corruption and demise from warring patriarchal tribes from the north by means of force and dilution. To the time of Mary and Jesus, where Mary’s influence and importance to our culture and spirituality is brought to light along with Jesus’ messages of love and inclusion; then the corruption of Jesus’ teachings by Paul and others when Paul, after Jesus’ death encouraged the exclusion of women in teaching and “…having any authority over a congregation.” And that “…women must be silent in church”; justifying it by associating all women with Eve as a manipulative and untrustworthy woman. All supported by the work and research of Marija Gimbutas, Charlene Spretnek, Merlin Stone and others. This is the kind of history I have been longing to read!
I especially appreciated Ms. Edwards’s descriptions of the mysteries of the Rosary and how to pray the rosary…When I think of the rosary two things come to mind…first, my grandmother who would sit by the window every morning saying the rosary, and second, I had no idea how to pray the rosary or how the mysteries fit in. Ms. Edwards beautifully unifies all that simply and understandably! I felt as though the entire fabric of my spirituality was torn and fragmented with so many pieces missing and buried! I am grateful that now, with the help of this book as well as resources introduced in this book, the process of some healing has begun.
Part three relates how to plant a rosary garden. Each mystery of the rosary is discussed as it relates to the plants associated with it and their significance along with some very sweet little antidotes of how these plants are relevant in Ms. Edward’s little village in the past as well as today. History and herbal rolled into one! The book ends with a couple of beautiful prayers and an epilogue that left me longing for a warm hearth in a little Italian village in the mountains. I love this book for taking me by the metaphorical shoulders, spinning me around and pointing me in the direction of my rich, beautiful past and my own search for the Divine Feminine.

I had read Gail's first book, Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs and loved it, so I have been eagerly awaiting a new publication. This book does not disappoint! Like everything Gail writes, it is a balance of well researched, fascinating information, and her personal experience. This book begins in a lovely Italian village, and takes you on a journey through the history of feminine spirituality, the foundation for the devotion to Mary, and through the teachings of the Rosary and the foods and herbs connected to them. It is an intellectually and spiritually uplifting book. A wonderful affirmation of living a devoted, present, thoughtful life. Highly recommended.

As a lover of nature, a gardener and an herbalist, I enjoyed this book immensely. Gail Faith Edwards writings always impart a feeling of empowerment, hope and joy about life. It has re-connected me to my love of Mary, the Universal Mother, and the beauty and simplicity of the rosary. The story and the herbal recipes and gardening ideas make one eager to get back to the earth and to what is real and simple in this often confusing and scarey world. I would love to meet and spend time with Gail Edwards, and I highly recommend this book.

Through The Wild Heart of Mary takes you to Gail Faith Edwards' village in Italy for a warm visit with a lesson in acient history how various plants, herbs and trees have been handed down to Mary and how they relate to the Mysteries of the Rosary. To make the book even more complete, if that is possible, are the many pictures and recipes. This book spoke to my heart and I cannot wait to start my own Mary garden this spring. My thanks to Gail Faith Edwards for writing this book and now I can't wait to read her previous books.

"Through the Wild Heart of Mary" has affected me in a few ways: It has piqued my interest in herbs and has reconnected me with the Virgin Mother and the Rosary. I love the clarity of expression and the passion with which it was written. It has lots of information about herbs and the teachings of the Rosary, yet it is very concise. The wonderful artwork has such an innocense and is an added bonus to an already great book. Enjoyable and informative.

"Through the Wild Heart of Mary" is a beautiful, woman honoring and empowering book. Gail provides a fascinating history of the feminine divine. Her stories of friends and neighbors in her Italian village are inspiring. And, as always, Gail's herbal advice is immensely nourishing and helpful. Thanks for this fabulous book.

This is a fabulous book. The connection of mind, body and spirit is told through Gail's writing of her devotional practice to the Blessed Mother Mary, her strong connections to ancestral roots in Italia and the spirit of the plants interweaving all of life. There is much knowledge and wisdom to be gained from reading these pages. A wonderful, wonderful book!