I loved this one! I especially appreciated witnessing the depth of Miriam's emotions and her personal growth. This novel really provides a richness surrounding the lives of Bible folks that I hadn't really considered before.
Song of the Magdalene is the fictionalized story of the coming of age of the woman known to the world as Mary Magdalene. Growing up in the Galileean town of Magdala, Miriam (Mary) is troubled by occasional fits (what would now by known as epilepsy), which cause her to withdraw and delve into nature and her faith. Her best friend is the paralyzed son of the family's servant, Abraham. While his body is crippled, Abraham's mind is sharp and he teaches Miriam the psalms and songs of her faith. Miriam loves to sing these songs, despite the fact that custom decrees that only men can sing the psalms. She falls in love with Abraham and conceives his child, but tragedy takes her happiness away from her and banishes her from Magdala and her family. Eventually she becomes a traveler, seeking answers and a cure. In Joshua (Jesus), she finds the healer for whom she was searching.
In my opinion, Mary Magdalene is one of the most mysterious women mentioned in the Bible. According to the Bible, she was a follower of Jesus, who cast out seven demons from within her. I found this story fascinating and thought that it dovetailed very well with what little is known of Mary from the Bible. I especially appreciated the alternate explanation for cause of the "seven demons" within Mary. The only part of the story that I found hard to believe was the freedom that Mary's father allowed her. I understand from the story that he loved his daughter dearly, but found it hard to believe that that any father would have been quite that lenient. So for that reason I took away a star, otherwise this would have been a five star book for me.
In my opinion, Mary Magdalene is one of the most mysterious women mentioned in the Bible. According to the Bible, she was a follower of Jesus, who cast out seven demons from within her. I found this story fascinating and thought that it dovetailed very well with what little is known of Mary from the Bible. I especially appreciated the alternate explanation for cause of the "seven demons" within Mary. The only part of the story that I found hard to believe was the freedom that Mary's father allowed her. I understand from the story that he loved his daughter dearly, but found it hard to believe that that any father would have been quite that lenient. So for that reason I took away a star, otherwise this would have been a five star book for me.
I did not read this book but heard it was good.
