Prolific Ashland County author Dandi Daley Mackall takes her time with 'Three Wise Women'

JACKSON TWP. − It's hard to comprehend a book 20 years in the making from prolific writer Dandi Daley Mackall, who has written more than 500 books.

But it's the length of time "Three Wise Women," the local author's newest publication, took shape.

The book, a gift for the season of Advent, penetrates the hearts and minds of the women most closely associated with the Christmas season: Mary, mother of Jesus; Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist; and Anna, prophetess at the temple in Jerusalem.

In taking on their persona, Mackall said, over the years "I journaled as if I were one of (them)," absorbing their culture, their language, and even the landscape that surrounded them.

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"Some wonderful references and resources" helped her "get inside these real women," she said.

Exploring the experiences of 'Three Wise Women'

The 40 devotions in "Three Wise Women" are designed for readers to enjoy the same experience and to make the Christmas story resonate.

"It has been a unique experience," Mackall said.

A personal application includes Bible verses correlating with each woman's story and questions to draw a comparison between their lives and ours.

"What do you think it means to 'hope in the Lord?'" as Mary did, Mackall asks in the book. "Is there anything you could do this Advent to strengthen your hope in the Lord?"

One of the concepts covered in the devotionals is the potential for jealousy.

Mackall said Elizabeth could have resented Mary, given the different ways their spiritual journey unfolded.

"I love (Elizabeth)," Mackall said. "She didn't get a dream or an angel, just her husband who couldn't speak."

Then, "Here comes Mary," who visited Elizabeth during the course of their pregnancies. Elizabeth could have thought, "Why not me?"

Instead the two women focused on "John the Baptist and Jesus together in the womb," encompassing "the fate of the whole world."

Not much is said about Anna in the Bible, Mackall noted. Yet she pieces together Anna's story, being faithful to Scripture.

"I'm a very Scripture-oriented gal," Mackall said, starting with the story of each woman as told in the Bible and only "imagining between the lines."

She prayed that in illuminating the stories, nothing she wrote would go against Scripture.

"Though I spend my days and nights serving in the temple," Mackall contemplated on behalf of Anna, "I experience the Lord's freedom each day."

Referring to the daily rituals performed by Anna, Mackall gives readers food for thought: "How can you adopt spiritual practices into your daily life and make each routine more meaningful, or personal?"

Dandi Daley Mackall explains her writing process

Mackall said she has been writing since the time she could hold a pencil.

But before she committed words to paper, she often used a recorder to "talk and dialogue" into it in the absence of cellphones, probably making some residents wonder what she was doing when she first began her walking and talking jaunts through her Cinnamon Lake neighborhood in rural Ashland County.

"When I had kids, I started writing for kids," she said, then moved on to board books, picture books, and early chapter books, "never letting go" of any of the genres.

"I write every possible hour," Mackall said.

Surrounded by overflowing books in her cozy home library, Mackall is an award-winner who addresses all ages of readers, with novels and nonfiction pieces among her repertoire. But her multi-dimensional career also includes once having served as a missionary behind the Iron Curtain. She has studied Hebrew and Greek, taught at several universities, served as a national speaker and made appearances on television, radio shows, and podcasts.

One of her books became a Hallmark movie. Mackall was one of the featured authors at Buckeye Book Fair in Wooster on Nov. 5, one of the numerous times she's appeared there.

In "Three Wise Women" Mackall invites readers to connect with the Christmas story anew, enticing them with the festive cover and an insider's look at the ageless story.

Mackall's next venture will be an Easter sequel to the Christmas devotional as she steps into the lives of the women who travelled with Jesus.

Meet Dandi Daley Mackall

She will give a presentation about "Three Wise Women" at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1 in the Stockwell Room of the Ashland Public Library.

"The library is happy to have Dandi here as a local author in the area, and we are glad to provide a space for her to share her latest work," said Emily King, the library's community engagement coordinator.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Author Dandi Daley Mackall releases new book 'Three Wise Women'