Mary Called Magdalene

Mary Magdalene, the beloved disciple and companion of Jesus, has held a mystique since her name first appeared in the Gospel of Mark. References to her are tantalizingly brief, but we do know that she was the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared - and the one commissioned to tell others the good news, earning her the ancient honorific "Apostle to the Apostles." Today, Mary continues to spark controversy, curiosity, and veneration. Was she a prostitute, a female-divinity figure, a church leader, or all three? In a vivid re-creation of Mary Magdalene's life story, Margaret George uses testaments, letters, and narrative to convincingly capture Mary's voice as she moves from girlhood to womanhood, becomes part of the circle of disciples, and comes to grips with the divine. Grounded in biblical scholarship and secular research, this mesmerizing novel is a moving "diary of a soul."