Mary Magdalene Paperback – December 19, 1985

This novel, based on biblical truth, is hard to put down. It’s a story of Mary Magdalene’s life, how she got her demons and how Jesus delivered her from them. Her life changed from the love Jesus showed her, and she was forever devoted to Him because of it.

This is my second book by this author who does a lot of research when writing her Christian historical novels. It was hard to put down, and at times really quite intense to read, esp. when imagining going through anything similar. Having some understanding about how our mind can really dissociate when dealing w/ such extreme trauma, I found Ellen's portrayal of Mary Magdalene very plausible. That said, I just caution people when reading to remember it is a novel, and while there may be many biblical accuracies, be discerning, or just read it with an open mind, without being too attached to how much of it is true.

Spoiler: this is insanely dark for the first half of the book. Absolutely brutal and hard to stomach. However, no matter how historically inaccurate it is, the idea of forgiveness is real and timeless. When you overcome your greatest fears, love will find you everywhere. I cried. lol

From the very first page I felt as if I were right in the pages of "history". Mrs. Gunderson has once again used her wonderful story-telling ability to bring Mary Magdalene to life in a more personal way. The Bible reveals such a small bit of information about Mary of Magdala, but in this story, we have been given a clear vision of what she very well may have been like and how her young life may have taken turns and twists that took her deep into prostitution-against her will and in such a tragic set of events, that one can only weep for her and her lost youth.This is an excellent, well-written story of tragedy, love, and redemption. Mary Magdalene Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts on this book! I have great respect for this author and her passion for making historical biblical characters 'come to life' in such a realistic way.

I'm a voracious reader of biblical novels. Here are the top three: Taylor Caldwell, a positively brilliant woman author.Wendy Alec-a deeply spiritual and insightful writer. And: last but not least, Ellen Gunderson Traylor. Her books are engrossing,simply hard to put down. Having said that, Mary Magdalene is an outstanding piece of work. I actually felt the Lord dealing withme as I progressed its pages. What a great work!! What a gifted woman!!P.S. Noah I read three times.

Out of all the books I have read of hers, this one started off rough for me. It was hard to get into. Why? Who knows. The ending was tied up nicely, but not my truth. All and all a good read.

I read this book for the first time as a young adult and enjoyed it then. The scenes that could have been very graphic were carefully done so that it didn't shock my relatively innocent senses. I read it again recently as an adult and even though my senses are no longer innocent, there was enough description to hold my attention. Traylor did an excellent job in getting inside Mary's head before and after meeting Jesus so that everything made sense and you could feel her grief and fear then her joy and hope.

The book arrived quickly and in great shape! I love this author and the way that she brings the stories of the Bible to life!

What a powerful book! Ellen's insights into the heart of Jesus and His Father are beautiful. How she filled in the probable realities of Mary's world around the facts written in the scriptures are incredible. At times difficult to read, the beauty arising from the ashes because of Jesus shine brightly through all the well written pages. Thank you, Ellen for this masterfully created work.

If you've ever contemplated the life the women endured in this culture and era, you will be all the more awe-struck by the hope Jesus brought to their lives.