Book Review: 'History's Queen' by Mike Aquilina

Shannon Whitmore reviews a new book about the Blessed Mother's appearances throughout history.

Mike Aquilina’s recent book, History’s Queen, is a great read for all Mary lovers, whether you are still just getting to know her or you’ve shared a deep relationship with her for years. A beautiful balance between popular appearances of Mary like Lourdes and Fatima and lesser known appearances and interventions largely lost to history, Mike Aquilina paints a lovely picture of a woman who is absolutely invested in the goings-on of our world. We can clearly see why Mary is called the Queen of both heaven and earth.

Historys Queen

By telling stories of appearances and interventions of Mary throughout history, Aquilina shows how our Mother is dedicated to the health and holiness of her children here on earth. She has made her presence known on countless occasions. She has shown her hand whenever her sons and daughters have needed her protection. Aquilina takes us on a journey through history, beginning with the days of the Gospel and wrapping up with our modern times. He leads us from country to country, from era to era, telling us story after story about the interventions of Mary in human history. She is the Queen of heaven and earth, and as Mike Aquilina shows us, she is also history’s Queen.

Mary did not just have a role to play in the thirty-odd years that her Son was alive. She is much more central to human and salvation history than that. Mary’s role in the salvation had been predicted from the fall of man, foretold with the condemning words of the serpent:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; they will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Her arrival had been promised, and her role will not be fulfilled until the end of time. Mary is not just the Mother of God. She is the Mother of the Church. She is the Mother of the Redeemed. She is our Mother, and as our mother, she is interested in our continued wellbeing.

Mary remains with us, doing everything in her power to draw us to her Son. #catholicmom

Mike Aquilina demonstrates how Mary stands at the focal point of history, not simply because she was alive and present during the life of Christ, but because she has been present through all history, from the birth of the Church at Pentecost to present day. Even as Aquilina considers the dire warnings she gives the children at Fatima and at Kibeho, we are encouraged to find comfort in the fact that we have not been abandoned.

Mary remains with us, doing everything in her power to draw us to her Son. If you want to draw closer to Jesus Christ, draw closer to His beloved Mother, and History’s Queen is a superb way to do just that.