Magda Revealed
by Ursula Werner

What would Jesus do? This wry, irreverent, fictionalized account of his life and ministry—told from the perspective of disciple Mary Magdalene—will implode everything you thought you knew.

Jesus Christ—Yeshua, to his friends—is not happy. Two thousand years after his death, he sees Earth heading toward oblivion. Ever eager to save humanity, he asks Mary Magdalene (Magda) for help. It’s time to tell the real story of our time together, he says. Time to correct all the misinformation, misogyny, and lies spread by Peter, Paul, and the Roman Catholic Church. Still pissed that she’s been called a whore for almost two millennia, Magda resists—but ultimately, out of love for Yeshua, reluctantly agrees.

Through Magda’s words, Yeshua—to most today a symbolic, practically mythological Biblical figure—comes back to life as a man of flesh and blood, one wholly devoted to spreading his message of radical equality. Magda tells of her travels with Yeshua and his followers around Galilee, where they are menaced at every turn by Roman rulers. She relates tales of miracles and murder, jealousy and acceptance, misogyny and female empowerment. She describes her relationship with Yeshua, clarifying centuries of speculation about whether or not they were in love. And, painfully, she reveals the truth about who orchestrated his death.

But Magda’s narrative does not end there. Her life with Yeshua has taught her that she has more strength than she ever imagined, and she begins to tap into a spiritual power that is uniquely her own—the power to connect people. Magda’s true role in the history of humanity, it turns out, is just beginning to unfold.

5 out of 5 fairies

Although this is a work of fiction, it’s also a new and unique way to view Mary Magdalene, her relationship with Jesus, and his teachings. When I first read the blurb, I was intrigued, but it was the flowing cadence and raw emotions that really drew me in. It feels like you’re sitting across from Magda, hearing her reluctantly share her story with you. She not only talks about her own life, but her life with Jesus, and how she understood his teachings. It’s a different view than that shared in the bible, but is presented respectfully. I doubt I’m the target audience (I’m a pagan and lapsed Catholic), but I got so wrapped up in this story that I found it hard to stop reading. If you’re interested in historical fiction, and don’t mind a religious tilt to it, then you’re going to want to put this at the top of your TBR pile!

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