Magdala

by Valerie Gross

Mary Magdalene, a woman who is everywoman, one who struggles to find and at last stand in her own truth...  Meet her on her path  from dutiful priestess to spiritual leader .  Mary and Jesus in love...   A love that can transcend all,  if only they are willing to do one thing.

354 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Valerie Gross has devoted the last seven years to writing and researching MAGDALA, including a trip to Israel. She currently facilitates women's circles in and around NYC and is working on her next book. She lives in NYC and NJ with her love Paul and their Clumber Spaniel."

Reviews

[Betty Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believable Mary Magdalene! I know it is a novel, but following much of the Biblical words and places directly from the Bible, I really "got into the book" believing much of what I have heard or suspected over the years. That is that Mary Magdalene was the love of Jesus' life. Maybe I want to believe that so much that this wonderful read gives me hope that this is true. It is a beautiful love story from Mary as a child surrounded by her family to an adult who learned (with Jesus' help) to feel great love for everyone. The book is easy to read and quite uplifting. The author, Valerie Gross has a real skill in describing and capturing what life must have been like many years ago in the hot deserty country where the story takes place. I enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the history of most religions, we rarely hear or read about women as prophets/daughters of God. Most of the time, the only women we learn about in tales of religion are either holy virgins or sinful women. In Catholic churches and schools, Mary Magdalene, has been presented as a prostitute who changed her life when she met Jesus. Mary Magdalene, we are then told becomes a devout follower of Jesus.

As a child, I always wondered why there were always such simplistic views of women in the Bible. Then as a teenager, I read more and more stories of Mary Magdalene and questioned how in the world the Vatican ever came to viewing her as a prostitute. Why was the story of Mary Magdalene changed so much that succeeding generations of Christians and the world view her as a reformed prostitute for centuries?

My heart has been opened by the story of Mary, the healer. The author introduces us to priestesses who are healers, seers, scribes, musicians and weavers. These are women who put their spirituality first and foremost. Their traditions and customs are essential to making sure that future generations of priestesses continue the legacy of their foremothers. Yet the world around them grows more dangerous. The Roman Empire is gaining a stronger foothold, and the priests are easily intimidated at the Great Temple in Jerusalem. Throughout the ages, we have lost some of the most important ways and traditions. This includes the prayers not just to Our Father, but to Our Mother too.

Mary and Jesus. The love between two people is both simple and complicated. I found that Mary and Jesus are just like you and me. They have doubts about their love and life. They question God about the paths they will take. They wonder why they have to live up to their families expectations. All of us question ourselves at times, some of us do so everyday. But it means that although we are mere mortals, divinity exists in all men, women, and children. Open your heart to the story- the story of a women and man- the story of Mary and Jesus.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Magdala, we see the story of Mary Magdalene and Jesus, with Mary as the center of the story and with more focus on the women involved. I really appreciated the author’s take on Mary and her life (from prophesies to how she came to be), and she does an amazing job of bringing everyone to life to bring some thought and understanding to everyone’s motivations and actions. The book is both entertaining and thought provoking, and I really enjoyed reading it. I think that Gross does a really good job of creating believable story for Mary Magdalene, one that shows that she came from powerful women and was a capable and important in an of herself.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Della · Rating 4 out of 5]

what interests me about biblical fiction is how each author interprets or creates their own historical account of the New Testament. this novel provides a compelling perspective on the events that culminate in the crucifixion of the Son of Man. i was captivated by way that the story is told: a deeply personal account from Mary herself, her words written for her beloved Jesus. what really captivated me about this story is how the author is able to convey the love between Mary and Jesus; a love that is so deep and beyond words, down to the essence of their being.

for the fan of biblical fiction, this is a must-read.

[Graisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous novel. There are few novels about Jesus and Mary Magdalene that I love, and this one joins them. The love, the beauty, the healing, the equality between the Goddess and God. What these greatest lovers of all time tried to build together for the world...It's all so delicious. If you only read one spiritual novel this year, make it this one! Don't make the mistake I did and put off finishing it because you feel that it is starting out too slow. There is plenty of action in this.

[Carleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valerie Gross writes a beautiful love story between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Although, this writing was thoroughly researched; the reader (if they are versed in biblical knowledge) would know that this story is most definitely of the author's perspective and not factual. Though this may be fictitious, I absolutely love the story line that Ms. Gross creates for Jesus and Mary. The way that Ms. Gross intertwined Mary Magdalene's story into major biblical events involving Jesus is fascinating. Admittedly, I found myself researching some aspects of the story line in my Bible as I was reading Magdala. I feel that there is most definitely a poetic license to how Ms. Gross describes such events. I, myself, find this writing fascinating and quite intriguing. There is much still to discover and unknown history regarding Jesus, Mary Magdalene and other biblical characters that are mentioned in this book. As a Christian, myself, I personally like to attempt to interpret the Bible in different capacities. I love that the author was not afraid to do so herself. I applaud her in this effort, actually; especially when this type of writing could gain a lot of negative criticism from some groups. Please keep an open mind when reading this book if you are weary of reading anything with Jesus in the story. In no way was this book "preachy" or "churchy." If you have a knack for reading love stories, please, I encourage you to read this book. It is definitely a page turner. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Happy Reading!

[HICK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the way in which each detail of the location, character and period in time was slowly unwrapped as I read each chapter. The author depicts a picture of life during the time under Roman rule that comes alive as each chapter develops and the reader gets a glimpse into a biblical time most are familiar. This love story is written in a compelling and challenging way that the reader will find many of the traditional religious notions may of us were raised tested. Mary as Jesus' lover is an idea and has been representative throughout history in the visual arts; Valarie Gross has put written word to the artistic paint brush.

“I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.”

[Sherry]

Although a little late in coming I have finally read and reviewed this little gem of a book. Magdala is a beautifully written love story about Mary Magdalene, wife and lover of Jesus. It's a breath of fresh air to read about the women of God and not have them be portrayed as prostitutes or women who have sinned. I loved the way this book was written, the author made Mary and Jesus very human by having them struggle with the same emotions that we all deal with on a daily basis. The writing was very lyrical and flowed beautifully from start to finish. If you want a new perspective on Mary Magdalene, this version will leave you feeling refreshed and with a sense that some gaps in Jesus's early life are filled. A goodreads give away, thanks!

[Kimberly Lanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that drew me in from page one. This is a biblical story told in a way that humanized each character. We have all heard of each character like Jesus and Mary Magdala but this story gave us a chance to see them through their eyes. A love story that stood the test of times and ripped at our hearts feeling their pain and struggles. You do not need to believe in the religion to be engrossed into this story. I think this was very well done and made me sad that it was over.
**I received a free book for an honest review**

[Haley Mathiot]

Did not finish

Again, the pitch sounded different. I thought it would be biblical fiction. It ended up being about the supposed love affair between Christ and Mary. It was donated. Hopefully it found a good home.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful envisioning... loved the emphasis on the female characters and what they offered (and still do) re: spirituality. Also the tension between the desire for justice through fighting vs. the need for healing through love and acceptance.

[Danyell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much-needed re-feminization of the new-testament story and context

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story, beautifully told!

[Diane Hamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read, I plan to read it again. It makes you think......