Mary Magdalene

Author: Diana Wallis Taylor

Genre: Life

Series: Ms. Taylor has written other books based in Bible times (Martha and Journey to the Well), but they’re not a series.

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Historical fiction

Number of pages: 292

Time period: Bible times

Passage from book: Long maligned as a prostitute or a woman of questionable reputation, Mary Magdalene's murky story seems lost to the sands of time. Now a portrait of this enigmatic woman comes to life in the hands of an imaginative master storyteller. Diana Wallis Taylor's Mary is a woman devastated by circumstances beyond her control and plagued with terrifying dreams--until she has a life-changing confrontation with the Savior.
Lovers of historical and biblical fiction will find this creative telling of Mary's story utterly original and respectful as it opens their eyes to the redeeming work of Christ in the lives of those who follow him.

My overall opinion: I greatly enjoyed this excellent piece of Biblical fiction. Obviously, a lot of the story of Mary Magdalene had to be fictionalized because the Bible doesn’t tell us that much. But the book was very well-written, and seemed accurate to the time period. It was very interesting to learn about how a person who was basically crazy would have been treated at that time! The way Jesus was described seemed a bit…average (?) to me. Wavy, shoulder-length hair, etc. Maybe that just bugged me – it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just annoyed me a bit. Other than that, I thought it was a pretty great book! Definitely kept me reading the whole way through! I have Martha on my to-read pile, and can’t wait to start it. Recommended for anyone who enjoys Biblical fiction.

**I reviewed this book for Revell publishers. A good review was not required, and I was not reimbursed for this review other than a free copy of the book. This is my honest opinion of the book.**