Join us on September 10 at the first literary event of the fall within the RCINY/ Carturesti book exhibition, for the launch of GIRL MARY: A Novel, the new book by Petru Popescu, upcoming this September at Simon & Schuster. The author will be in dialogue with Corina Suteu, RCINY director.

Petru Popescu was one of Romania's leading young authors, already from his 1969 debut novel PRINS (CAUGHT), when he immigrated to the United States in 1974. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Amazon Beaming and Almost Adam, and the critically acclaimed memoirs The Return and The Oasis. He lives in Beverly Hills with his wife and two children.

For nearly two millennia, Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus, has been one of the most revered women in history, yet she remains one of the most mysterious. In GIRL MARY, Petru Popescu offers a radical, yet fully realized portrait of Mary’s girlhood, her love for Joseph, her relationship with God and the events that led to God’s intervention in her pregnancy.

Blake Bailey praises GIRL MARY for its "deep research and masterful story-telling" calling it "triumphant" and "unforgettable", and Elie Wiesel proclaims that "Popescu's literary imagination will stimulate reader's interest in religious and historical events." Popescu has written a hauntingly beautiful novel that brings to life one of history's most mysterious and honored women as an enthralling, complicated, and utterly believable girl in love.

"Girl Mary brings the people and settings of Biblical antiquity to life with compassion, vivid storytelling, and an unerring eye for the Rightness of the world’s greatest story.  It will speak to anyone who cherishes the essential humanity of our foundational spiritual traditions." - Deepak Chopra

"…[Popescu] brings this turbulent age to vibrant life with sympathetic characters, both minor and major." - Kirkus Reviews

[Excerpts from Simon & Schuster's press release]