A review by hekate24
The Secret Magdalene by Ki Longfellow

5.0

This is honestly one of the most satisfying 'historical fiction novels set in biblical times' type novels I've ever read. The characters are vibrantly, compellingly human. Longfellow gets into some of the apocryphal claims (that Mary and Jesus were especially beloved of one abother) but this is also a very human telling of the story. The author takes great pains to illuminate the historical context these characters lived in and, as such, they really come alive. Early on in her life, Mary Magdalene ends up caught up in some very revolutionary political sects, culminating in Jesus's philosophies and how they compel AND alienate most of the people they meet. By emphasizing the incendiary nature of what the characters are doing, Longfellow sketches these people in as complex people who clearly care about the world around them, and have no idea what's going to happen next. This has the result of making this novel into one hell of a page turner... even if you know how the story will end!