Mary of Magdala suffered a trauma in her youth that led to having seizures and hearing voices. Although the Jewish priests prayed over her, she was not healed. The incidents grew in frequency and intensity until people around her began to whisper “Mad Mary” when they saw her. Eventually she lost her grip on sanity and needed to be kept in a locked room, both for her safety and that of the public.
A dire circumstance, to be sure. Her husband had lost the wife he loved, but never stopped praying and searching for her healing. A well-respected boat builder in Magdala, he was commissioned to build a fishing boat for a man named Zebedee of Capernaum. From Zebedee and his sons James and John, Mary’s husband first heard of the itinerant preacher named Jesus, but there was no safe way to take his demented wife so far for the touch of the Healer. Would Jesus ever come to Magdala?
In this retelling of the biblical story of Mary Magdalene, we become immersed in first century Palestine and life along the Sea of Galilee. We see the culture of the wealthy of that time, as well as the needy. We see the temple in Jerusalem through the eyes of a woman and experience the Sermon on the Mount. But most of all, we get a feel for the way the news of Jesus spread across the countryside and listen in to the discussion of whether or not this man truly was the Messiah.
If you enjoy biblical fiction, Mary Magdalene is a must read. And if it’s a genre new to you, I think you’ll find that Diana Wallis Taylor has a knack for drawing the reader into the time period and allowing us to experience the wonders of Scriptures in a new way. I wasn’t sure what to expect in this book, and I really enjoyed it.
Diana Wallis Taylor has been writing since the age of 12 when she sold her first poem to a church newspaper. As well as three novels set in biblical times, she has written a collection of poetry, various articles in books and magazines, and the words and melodies of an Easter cantata.
Diana lives with her husband Frank in San Diego, California. Between them they have six grown children and ten grandchildren. She enjoys speaking and sharing her heart with women of all ages. She also serves on the Board of the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild, the Board of her church, sings on the worship team, and enjoys taking part in Professional Women’s Fellowship.
“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group”.
