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by Minerva Waters
According to Mary Magdalene, by Marianne Fredriksson (Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., 1999)
This novel is told in a series of first-person accounts written by
Mary Magdalene, who, after Jesus' death, was approached by the
other apostles to tell her side of things. She intersperses her
current views of the other apostles (especially Paul) and her
daily life with stories from her childhood and young adulthood.
Mary's earliest memories are of her father sneaking out to train
the local zealots. He seems to ignore her much of the time, largely
because, as she discovers, she is a blue-eyed, blonde, part-Roman
and her mother's greatest joy. Shortly after, the Romans discover
her father's activities. He is killed outright and her mother and
siblings are tortured, then burned when their house is set on fire.
Mary escapes to the countryside where she is found and adopted by
a Roman soldier. The solider places her with a friend, the madam
of a brothel, to raise until he comes for her. Soon after, word
comes that her adopted father was killed.
After the suicide of a Jewish prostitute from the house due to guilt,
Mary begans to open up and come to terms with her family's deaths.
As she matures, her foster-mother plans to close the house and
move to another town to keep Mary safe. However, Mary falls in love
with a soldier, lies with him, and sends him away. The next day she
announces she wishes to be a whore.
When she becomes ill, her foster-mother sends her away to rest.
She soon hears of a wandering preacher named Jesus and joins his
band of followers. As years go by Mary becomes one of Jesus'
closest friends and they fall in love. When Jesus' mother shows
up, Mary is treated as her dear daughter and the beloved of her
son. The night before Jesus is arrested, Mary and Jesus lie together
in the room, holding each other and knowing it is the last time.
This novel is told in a series of first-person accounts written by
Mary Magdalene, who, after Jesus' death, was approached by the
other apostles to tell her side of things. She intersperses her
current views of the other apostles (especially Paul) and her
daily life with stories from her childhood and young adulthood.
Mary's earliest memories are of her father sneaking out to train
the local zealots. He seems to ignore her much of the time, largely
because, as she discovers, she is a blue-eyed, blonde, part-Roman
and her mother's greatest joy. Shortly after, the Romans discover
her father's activities. He is killed outright and her mother and
siblings are tortured, then burned when their house is set on fire.
Mary escapes to the countryside where she is found and adopted by
a Roman soldier. The solider places her with a friend, the madam
of a brothel, to raise until he comes for her. Soon after, word
comes that her adopted father was killed.
After the suicide of a Jewish prostitute from the house due to guilt,
Mary begans to open up and come to terms with her family's deaths.
As she matures, her foster-mother plans to close the house and
move to another town to keep Mary safe. However, Mary falls in love
with a soldier, lies with him, and sends him away. The next day she
announces she wishes to be a whore.
When she becomes ill, her foster-mother sends her away to rest.
She soon hears of a wandering preacher named Jesus and joins his
band of followers. As years go by Mary becomes one of Jesus'
closest friends and they fall in love. When Jesus' mother shows
up, Mary is treated as her dear daughter and the beloved of her
son. The night before Jesus is arrested, Mary and Jesus lie together
in the room, holding each other and knowing it is the last time.
After a period of time, while she is on the outskirts of the
group of Jesus' followers resting, her adopted father finally finds
her. The two of them pretend to be married (despite the fact that
her father is homosexual) and set up a house near his family where
Jesus' followers can come when in need. It is here that the other
apostles come to her and request that she write her side.
This novel is a little touchy-feely in places, but it is well written
and provides an interesting insight to how Mary might have viewed
things.
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