PURE VISION: The Magdalene Revelation

By weaving myth, history and international intrigue, my novel PURE VISION: The Magdalene Revelation addresses the Middle East imbroglio through the eyes of a woman determined to discover the truth.

Pure Vision poses a challenging resolution to the Middle East crisis — the internationalization of the old city of Jerusalem — an idea initially proposed in 1947 by a fledgling UN. Although a controversial resolution, the novel presents the notion that purely political and military solutions will lead to nothing but more dead ends. Instead a spiritual leap is necessary to create peace.  The novel also poses a question: Where are women in the peace process, and how is subjugation and violence against women around the globe directly connected to furthering conflicts and tensions, creating even more danger and instability.

Sixty years after Eleanor Roosevelt helped establish the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN, the struggle for international rights continues. As far as female activists are concerned, that long and arduous road has led to the modern-day heroine — a dedicated, passionate woman who understands that her involvement with the world’s struggle for peace and equality isn’t just a choice. It’s a must. The days of listening to devastating news reports and simply shaking our heads is over. It’s time for all of us to put our hearts on the front line.

Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie, academy award-winning actresses, prove over and over again that they are in touch with the world and are prime examples of front line activists, not hesitating to use their superstar status to voice their concerns. Global citizens, both women work tirelessly as UN Goodwill Ambassadors. So what about the rest of us? It’s not necessary for us to be celebrities to make a difference. We just need to have some heart, the desire to help, and the courage to go beyond our fear.

Pure Vision asserts it’s within our reach. The novel maintains that feminine wisdom is playing a huge part in creating a new paradigm. By connecting the powerful Magdalene energy with two ancient myths from the East and the West — the Wish-fulfilling Jewel and the Grail – the novel encourages a look at the spiritual forces that infuse the world’s political battles.

If you thrive on unraveling mysteries and discovering threatening secrets like those found in Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code, then Pure Visionis a must read. The novel’s additional ingredient of social conscience and an ending that stimulates readers to create a new paradigm makes it all the more powerful and explosive — a contemporary statement meant to move you out of your mind and onto the street.

REVIEWS:

"A thrill ride in the vein of The Da Vinci Code but with a much larger vision for all of us. The alchemy is part historic fiction, part spiritual adventure, and a variety of interfaith metaphysics that metamorphosize into a golden vision of world peace . . . a page turner." -- Paul Hertel, Whole Living

"Presents a fascinating story full of intrigue and history. Birney's fiction seamlessly blends science and religion into a tale worthy of Indiana Jones . . . The book left this reader confident that idealism is not dead and that, sometimes, it can be the road map by which we might save ourselves."-- Cynthia Warren, Daily Freeman

"Birney infuses this epic novel with feminine echoes of The Da Vinci Code and The Red Tent, with her eyes on the prize of world peace. Reporter Maggie Seline courts controversy by championing an international Jerusalem . . . when she disappears, women around the globe march for peace . . . powerful men vie for two ancient artifacts." -- Chronogram