‘Immensely moving and disarmingly witty’ Nigella Lawson
‘Such a moving, tough, funny, raw, honest read’ Matt Haig
‘Beautifully written, moving and gut-wrenching, but also at times very funny’ Ian Rankin
‘Captures brilliantly, beautifully, bravely the comedy as well as the tragedy of bereavement’ The Times
‘Will strike a chord with anyone who has grieved’ Independent

When the Reverend Richard Coles’s partner died suddenly, shortly before Christmas in 2019, what came next took Richard by surprise. Despite his years of experience assisting his parishioners in examining life’s moral questions, Richard now found he needed guidance himself. Much about grief was unexpected: the volume of ‘sadmin’ that must be undertaken, how much harder it is travelling solo for work, the pain of typing a text message to your partner – then remembering they are gone. This deeply personal account of life after grief will resonate, unforgettably, long after the final page has been turned.

Despite the commonly held assumption that the Bible says little about the mother of Jesus, there are many indications that Mary preceded and inspired her son in fostering the emergence of a new faith community. In the Gospel of John, Mary instigates Jesus’ first miracle, and in all four gospels she is present at the crucifixion, suggesting hers was a place of unparalleled importance in the Christian story.

Setting aside presuppositions based on doctrine, Chris Maunder returns to the New Testament to answer the question ‘Who was Mary?’ He re-examines the virgin conception of Jesus, Mary’s contribution to Jesus’ ministry, and her central role in the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection. In so doing, Maunder casts a thought-provoking new light on Mary and the women, including Mary Magdalene, who stood alongside her.

Under a predawn sky, humming with starlight and the songs of birds, a group of determined women return to the cave where they have laid the body of their saviour. When they arrive, it is empty.

Names of the Women tells the stories of fifteen women whose lives overlapped with the life of Christ. Women who stayed with Christ through the crucifixion, when his disciples had abandoned him, and who spread his radical message – one that made them equals and a profound threat to power within the church.

Together, the voices of the women dare us to reimagine the story of the New Testament in a way it has never before been told.

*A ‘BOOKS OF 2021’ PICK IN THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND NEW STATESMAN*

‘Dazzling, smouldering . . . It is literally a tale that’s waited a thousand years to be told.’ MARLON JAMES, WINNER OF THE 2015 MAN BOOKER PRIZE

Names of the Women begins with Christ on the cross addressing Mary of Magdala, asking her to bear witness to his death. As the novel unfolds, it tells the stories of fifteen women whose lives overlapped with the life of Christ. Lydia and Assia, Martha and Mary of Bethany, Junia the Widow of Jerusalem, Susanna the Barren, Ariamma the Canaanite, and others whose names have been spoken only in passing or not at all. Women who stayed with Christ through the crucifixion, when his disciples had abandoned him, and who spread his radical message – one that made them equals and a profound threat to power within the church.

Together, the voices of the women dare us to reimagine the story of the New Testament in a way it has never before been told.

*A ‘BOOKS OF 2021’ PICK IN THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND NEW STATESMAN*