Daughter of Jerusalem - A Review & Giveaway

About the book (from Amazon)
She was a widow, a businesswoman, an adulteress.

In her lifetime, she knew murder, prejudice, and faith. She transformed from a Jewish girl longing for family to one of the closest friends of Jesus of Nazareth -- the Son of God.

HER NAME WAS MARY MAGDALENE.

In this fictionalized story of one of the Bible's most compelling women, New York Times best-selling author Joan Wolf beautifully recreates the history, romance, and tradition of Mary's world. Daughter of Jerusalem follows Mary's life from her first love through her loveless marriage, to the moment she heard of a miracle worker in her own town -- and ultimately to the moment she saw Him risen from the dead.

As this inspiring chronicle reminds us, Mary was the first to witness history's greatest moment. She was a woman who sought forgiveness for her sins, and a follower of God who yearned for a deeper faith. She was Jesus' beloved disciple. Read Mary Magdalene's story and find yourself in this remarkable woman's journey to discover the Kingdom of God.

My Thoughts
I've never read anything by Joan Wolf before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. In my own personal studies of the Scripture, I've discovered that not much is really know about who Mary Magdalene is other than the fact that she loved Jesus and He appeared to her first after His resurrection.

This particular book makes Mary Magdalene the Mary who is the sister of Martha and Lazarus. While I personally feel that Mary Magdalene was not their sister, I found myself engrossed in her story. From an early age she sought God. And even when her husband encouraged her to commit adultery, she wanted to resist because she knew it was wrong. But what I really loved about this book was that her sins were recognized, and she repented and sought forgiveness. Her encounter with Jesus changed her life forever.

Did I agree with everything that the author said? No I didn't. Did I find the book to be an enjoyable read? I did. In fact, I've got at least one other book by this author sitting in my to read pile and will be working it into my reading schedule. I found this to be one of the better books I've read about Mary Magdalene and one of the better Biblical fiction books I've ever read.

I received this book for free from Worthy Publishing for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Brock & Bodie Thoene, Francine Rivers, Tessa Afshar, Mesu Andrews, Diana Wallis Taylor, Jill Eileen Smith, and Biblical fiction.

Rating - 4.5 stars which I'll round up to 5 stars.

Giveaway
The publisher has graciously provided me a copy to give away.

To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite New Testament character other than Jesus and why that person is your favorite. For me, it's a toss up between Peter and Mary, the sister of Martha. I love Peter for being so gung ho about Jesus that he frequently doesn't think before he speaks. Yet Jesus loves him anyway. And I love Mary because she's at the feet of Jesus soaking up the knowledge He imparts. Makes me want to be like that.

Second entry for a comment telling me you follow my blog and how you follow it.

No additional entries for comments on reviews, though I love to read your comments.

This will end on July 27, and I'll pick a winner on the 28th.

I can only ship US.