Poisoned Honey : A Story of Mary Magdalene

This story begins with Mariamne, a vulnerable girl who knows little of the ways of the world. Much as she wants to be in control of her own destiny, she soon learns she has no such power. She must do as her father and brother see fit, and when tragedy strikes, Mari must marry a man she does not love and enter a household where she is not welcome, for the good of her family. But she finds a small way to comfort herself when she meets an Egyptian wisewoman who instructs her in the ways of the occult arts. In the spirit world, Mari finds she has power. Here, she really is in control of her fate. But is she? Or is the magic controlling her ? This gripping portrait of one of the most misunderstood and controversial Biblical figures is the story of a young girls path through manipulation and possession, madness and healing, to a man who will change the world forever. From the Hardcover edition. From Booklist Mariamne is the pampered daughter of a Magdala sardine merchant, and she has always experienced visionsor perhaps they are just flights of fancy. But after several tragedies, including the deaths of her father and the young man to whom she's betrothed, Mari's hold on reality becomes shakier. A fortune-teller shows her how to use charms and amulets to escape the hardships of living with the elderly husband her family has found for her, and when one of the incantations seems to kill him, as she had hoped, Mari sinks deeper into dependency on the voices she hears. The story of Mary Magdalene has been told and retold, but usually not for this age group. Gormley gives readers a Mary who will seem familiar to teens, full of pride and passion, hopeful yet hesitant. She sets her heroine against a remarkably well-detailed first-century milieu that captures everyday details and also makes strong statements about the place of a woman in that society. Affecting in the way of The Red Tent (1997), this is a strong choice for mother-daughter book clubs. Grades 8-12. --Ilene Cooper About the Author Beatrice Gormley is the author of dozens of books, including Salome, Miriam, and Julius Caesar: Young Statesman. She lives in Westport, Massachusetts. This story begins with Mariamne, a vulnerable girl who knows little of the ways of the world. Much as she wants to be in control of her own destiny, she soon learns she has no such power. She must do as her father and brother see fit, and when tragedy strikes, Mari must marry a man she does not love and enter a household where she is not welcome, for the good of her family. But she finds a small way to comfort herself when she meets an Egyptian wisewoman who instructs her in the ways of the occult arts. In the spirit world, Mari finds she has power. Here, she really is in control of her fate. But is she? Or is the magic controlling her ? This gripping portrait of one of the most misunderstood and controversial Biblical figures is the story of a young girl#8217;s path through manipulation and possession, madness and healing, to a man who will change the world forever Relates events from the life of a girl who would grow up to be a close follower of Jesus Christ, interspersed with stories of the Apostle Matthew. Includes author's note distinguishing what Scripture says of Mary Magdalene from later traditions