by Gillian Gill
First published 1998
Mary Baker Eddy emerges as a figure of contradictions and commanding presence in this complete portrait. Gillian Gill traces the woman who founded Christian Science, examining both her remarkable abilities and her human failings without softening the edges. The biography reveals how Eddy transformed from an obscure New England woman into the leader of a religious movement that challenged conventional medicine and theology. Gill presents the full scope of Eddy's character, showing her as neither saint nor charlatan but as a complex individual whose personal struggles shaped her spiritual teachings. The book captures Eddy's drive to establish her church while battling critics, legal challenges, and internal conflicts within her organization. Through careful research, Gill illuminates how Eddy's talents and flaws intertwined to create both her success and her controversies, offering readers an honest examination of a woman whose impact extended far beyond her own lifetime.
Genres: biography, christian, 20th-century, non-fiction, christianity, 19th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: complex-character, historical-figure
Setting: New England
Period: 19th Century, 20th Century
528 pages · Hardcover · Perseus Books; A Merloyd Lawrence Book