Mary had never felt so betrayed! How could he have done
this to her?
In her young life, Mary of Magdala had more than her share
of disappointments. After accepting her father's request,
she had moved far away to live with her Aunt Leah and her
family. Despite being an outsider there, she soon found
comfort and then wonderful romantic love with Daniel, a
young related cousin. He was so handsome and kind and they
both found joy in each other. Despite their stated
intentions of marriage and pledges of undying love,
Daniel's father soon found a much more lucrative match for
this lovely young Jewish girl with the beautiful hair. She
is to be married to another -- a rich and powerful old man
in another city far away.
Lonely in her new place, Mary found a new friend. A rich
and influential Roman woman called Julia. After her
betrayal by her Jewish family, Mary is more than happy to
follow Julia's lead down a different path. Yet, when
circumstances change dramatically, Mary has to make a
choice. What is she to do?
The story of Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdelene) has
fascinated people from its first telling in the Bible and
then through the centuries as scholars and novelists have
pondered and wondered at her amazing story from rising from
sin to redemption and then to being the first witness to
the resurrection of Jesus, who scant days before had been
cruelly crucified for being "The King of the Jews."
Written in Mary's voice, JOAN WOLF instantly pulls us back
through two thousand years to freshly hear and see her
story from her experiences as a young girl right to how and
why she became the most faithful of all the followers of
Jesus. Wolf is a well experienced writer and provides in
this easy to read story an authentic context of the times.
She aptly describes in dialogue and description the
attitudes for Romans and Jews and the place of women in
that time and the unique path that Mary was to take. The
author also excels at character development and in this
account, Mary is a warm and very likable person who finds
her means to make her mark in life. Secondary characters
are also well-describes with negative actions set in the
context of the times. Her descriptions of her siblings,
Lazarus and Mary, are particularly set in a very positive
light.
While there is scholarly Biblical debate on whether or not
Mary Magdelene could be related or not to Mary and
Lazarus, Wolf's account is well expressed and is intriguing
to speculate on. As this is a work of fiction, Wolf was
free to use a bit of literary licence in describing Mary's
relationship with her siblings, her participation in key
events, the named visitors who brought news of distant
happening, and in Mary's own perspective on the words she
hears from Jesus. All in all, it makes for a very
intriguing storyline and the book, while sure to be a hit
with fans of Christian historical novels, is definitely
worthy of reading by anyone, regardless of faith
preference. It could also be a very interesting book for a
book club to discuss. Enjoy!
She was a widow, a businesswoman, an adulteress.In her lifetime, she knew murder, prejudice, and faith.
She transformed from a Jewish girl longing for family to one
of the closest friends of Jesus of Nazareth -- the Son of
God.HER NAME WAS MARY MAGDALENE.
In this fictionalized story of one of the Bible's most
compelling women, New York Times best-selling author
Joan Wolf beautifully recreates the history, romance, and
tradition of Mary's world. Daughter of Jerusalem
follows Mary's life from her first love through her loveless
marriage, to the moment she heard of a miracle worker in her
own town -- and ultimately to the moment she saw
Him risen from the dead.
As this inspiring chronicle reminds us, Mary was the first
to witness history's greatest moment. She was a woman who
sought forgiveness for her sins, and a follower of God who
yearned for a deeper faith. She was Jesus' beloved disciple.
Read Mary Magdalene's story and find yourself in this
remarkable woman's journey to discover the Kingdom of God.
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