Book Club Guide

The Testament of Mary

by Colm Toibin · 2012 · Literary Fiction

Key themes

The mother who was there — and who remembers it differently
The Gospel as a text written by those who were not present
What grief looks like from inside a myth

About this book

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is old and living in Ephesus, watched over by two men who are compiling her son's story. Her testimony is bitter, frightened and devastatingly human — the account of a mother who was there and who remembers it differently from the story that is being written. Tóibín's novella is one of the most formally bold works of contemporary literary fiction.

Published in 2012, The Testament of Mary was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Tóibín has said he was drawn to Mary as someone who was present at an event that was being rewritten around her.

Discussion questions

Mary's version of events contradicts the account being assembled around her. How does Tóibín develop this — and what does giving Mary a sceptical, grieving voice do to the Christian story?
The two men watching Mary are compiling her testimony. What is Tóibín saying through this surveillance — about the relationship between witness and official narrative?
The novella is only 90 pages. What does Tóibín achieve in this space — and would a longer version dilute or strengthen the argument?
Mary's account of the crucifixion is devastating and deliberately un-miraculous. How does Tóibín handle the central event — and what does his Mary see that the Gospels do not say?
The Testament of Mary was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and was adapted into a one-woman play. What does each form do — and which medium serves the subject better?