Customer Reviews

Song of the Magdalene (Point)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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Song of the Magdalene -Donna Jo Napoli This was a book of very good quality, bordering on excellence. I believe this book could be read at the grade seven or eight level, although the subject matter is more appropriate for grades nine to eleven. This book would appeal to most regular readers, but not all.

The timeline of the story is around 05 AD to 25 AD. Set in what is now Israel, this book has vivid scenes in mostly the town Magdala, and also various other places along the River Jordan. This book is an excellent reference to get a view of life in this time and place. Song of the Magdalene is a fictional story of the young Mary Magdalene. Her family a quite respected in her village, and they are not poor, to say the least. Miriam lives with her father, her servant friend Hannah and Hannah's paraplegic son Abraham. At the age of ten she leads a rather normal life until the occurrence of her first fit.(seizure) In her culture and religion having a physical affliction is seen as evil and a fit represents an evil sprit entering your body. Miriam is a smart girl; because of this she knows that she must not let anyone find out about her fits, or she will be labeled as impure and be a social disgrace. To hide she spends her days in the valleys and forests, when she should be doing chores, preparing herself to be a wife. Eventually Abraham, who is always stuck at home, convinces Miriam to bring him along on her excursions. Because he joins her, when she has her second fit he finds out about them, he assures her neither of them are evil. As they become closer Abraham teaches Miriam to sing the Song of Songs and to read the torah, two skills only men regularly have. They grow very close and an incident soon after sends Miriam's world spinning. All her secrets torn open, all her lies exposed. She is sent away. After much searching she finds herself, and the story ends where the fact from the bible begins, as Miriam meets Jesus. This book is very factual and the religious aspects of it are quite realistic. It is interesting to compare the social roles of men and women portrayed in this book to those of today, it sure has changed. I would consider this book quite an easy read with mature subject matter, which is not the best combination. Although Overall I would consider this book extremely good in all aspects including writing, historical facts, reality and to top it all off an adventurous story line.

Miriam (Mary Magdalene) is made into such a real character in this novel. Like Zel and The Magic Circle, this book is impossible to put down. I kept my family waiting for me at dinner for about 20 minutes when I just had to keep reading. The writing is beautiful and the moral issues this book brings up are very interesting. It is a wonderful book set in a time period that is not used much in YA fiction. Did I mention, this book is one of my favorites of all time? The subject matter is definitely for older readers--only ages 14 up (I'm 15)--but anyone old enough should read it.

'I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine'-So goes a line of Solomon that perfectly describes this book. This book puts a new spin onto the story of Mary Magdalene. It makes her a truly unique individual in a time and place where individuality was scorned. The heartbreaking relationship between Miriam and Abraham forms the 'back-bone' of this marvelous book. Read this book to see what love should be,the joining of two souls in pure bliss.

Amazing is the way I would describe this book. The characters are so alive and the story kept my heart pounding the whole time. It was so hard to put this book down! Definitely one of my all time favorites!

Miriam is a thoughtful, fun-loving child who suffers her first fit at the age of ten and believes herself to be possessed by demons. She deprives herself of dancing and bright colours for years in an attempt to appease the Creator, but the fits continue. As she blossoms into a young woman she falls in love with Abraham, her servant Hannah's crippled son. The two are united in their isolation and deep views on religion and the world. Abraham eventually sickens and dies, leaving Miriam pregnant. But Miriam's struggles haven't ended: she is raped by a villager and miscarries. "Song of the Magdalene" follows her journey for understanding and compassion at the hands of others. At the end of the novel she joins up with Jesus and becomes a healer, finally finding peace. Jesus turns to the crowd of onlookers after Miriam suffers a fit and says, "This woman has no devils within her. Not seven, not one. None." "And I kept a song in my mouth always ready," Miriam tells us, "for there were many souls to heal."

Donna Jo Napoli fleshes out a mysterious character from the New Testament with grace, insight and compassion. Miriam does seem much more 20th century--a feminist who disagrees with wearing veils, having to stay at home, and wanting everyone to know of her illness and accept it, to accept her and Abraham. Strong character development and attention to detail make this a pleasure to read again and again. Napoli brings first-century Israel to life, full of exotic scents, colours and sounds, and examines the life of Mary Magdalene and Jesus from another perspective.

This is a beautiful book. I was a fan of Donna Jo Napoli's fairy tale books, when I decided to read this biblical book. I did not count on it being that good, but I-being a Christian-decided to try it out.
I was very pleased. It was absolutely wonderful. It got me interested right at the beginning. The book created an accurate picture of Israel at the time of Jesus. It rocked.
Mirium is a very developed character. I think that the story fits well into the bible. It is very believable. I love it so much and I recommend it to everyone!

It is so difficult to find quality biblical fiction that is not agenda driven, saccharine, or revisionist. That's what makes this novel such a treasure. So much do I love this book that I have ordered a library bound copy. Miriam is a young woman living with her widowed father, a hand maid, and the hand maid's disabled son Abraham. Based on Donna Jo Napoli's description, Abraham has cerebral palsy. Miriam, an open hearted, open minded young girl, builds an intense bond with him, as she can see beauty and wisdom in him that few others can. Miriam also has a health condition of her own that she must keep quiet. She is blessed with a warm, loving family, but she is living in a difficult, dangerous time. Due to society's intolerance and violence, she must leave her beloved family for their protection. Looking to start a new life, she encounters Jesus. The novel is a speculation of Mary Magdalene's life before she met Jesus, and it's actually quite plausible. Besides Donna Jo Napoli's sweet prose and gentle manner, the book is well researched. It is unbiased. It gives a vivid image of ancient Israel/Palestine. I love all of Donna Jo's books- written for girls but not in a sappy, patronizing way. Nor does she rely on shock value to lure readers. This is the best book of her collection, in my opinion.

i'm 17 yrs old and truthfully know nothing about world history. I have common sense, and i sort of rely on that alone.
This book, at first seemed something boring, and i checked it out of the school library because of the love i bear for most of this author's books, and so far she hasn't let me down.
Amist the third or fourth chapter, my attention was fully caught in the swirls of the plot and her twisted world. Along with homework, projects and what not; i was able to finish the book by the begining of the next day. I am a very picky reader and if a book is to my dislike,i stop reading it and move on. This book wrapped me up in many emotions and drove me insane throught the night.
I LOVED IT.
I highly do recommend this book. Don't let the time and place cause you to drift away. The characters, plot and the reality of her world was very moving and excellent. I think i cried through the entire thing. And i'm talking about heavy sobs. At the end i felt conent and happy i gave the book a chance.
PLEASE READ IT!!!

I thought that this book was very moving. The story of Miriam and Abraham was particularly heart-wrenching yet beautiful, and Miriam's struggles to find a new purpose in her life was enthralling

This historical fiction book is a story of a 1st century Jewsih girl, Miriam, and the story is told through her eyes, of her life from age 10-18. Miriam lived with her father and their maid Hannah along with Hannah's handicapped and socially outcasted son. Over the years, Miriam and Abraham's love develops much to the dismay of society. Miriam realizes that she is pregnant, but Abraham dies of an illness before their child is born. Miriam is forced to become a pariah after she is raped and her child is lost, and she embarks on a journey to find reknwon Jochanan, a man who takes in social outcasts. What I really enjoyed about this book was the author's ability to take a Bibilical character and create a fictional story about her life as well as incorporating historical facts. Also, the ending was such that it made the entire story beleivable. One negative factor of this story is that the first half is extremely boring; it focuses more on the setting rather than the plot.
Overall, the final result of this book was satisfying and I would recommend this novel to anyone who would enjoy learning about 1st century Jewish culture.