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desireeslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up on whim at a thrift bookstore because the cover really intrigued me, but I had absolutely no idea it was a religious YA novel. I'm not religious at all so I did not expect to like this once I realized. But, babbbbyyy did I eat this up!! First of all, chef's kiss for the writing. Napoli did THAT. I was completely immersed in Miriam's world. I also love how Napoli combatted the erasure of Jewish culture in Catholicism and Christianity. She beautifully told the story of a Jewish woman with epilepsy who faced not only her own obstacles, but her community's prejudices and an entire world that was trying to erase her people. Napoli told the story of Miriam before following Jesus without demonizing any one culture (which, controversial opinion, I feel is so rare in biblical stories). Overall, this was a breathtakingly beautiful story about two outcasts finding solace in each other, and learning that their afflictions aren't what's important.
I sang. Songs of morning and noon and night. Songs of juniper trees and mimosa and dates. Songs of the hawk and the sparrow, of the ox and the camel. Songs of the women working together. Songs of men and women loving one another. Songs of mother and child. And I kept those songs in my mouth, always ready, for there were many souls to heal"
amrita_m's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
bookfeyreads's review against another edition
5.0
A page turner. A heart stirrer. A smile maker.
This is an imagining of what may have brought a young girl to become the woman known as Mary Magdalene two thousand years ago. Gave me "The Red Tent" (Anita Diamant) vibes! -another 5 star read.
Its not preachy at all in the 'Christian sense' which I appreciated.
I found the story of her relationship with her handicapped friend very moving and brought a lot of understanding to something that is foreign to me.
The story moved me to tears at one point. That is how well the characters are written!
My first five-star read since April :)
This is an imagining of what may have brought a young girl to become the woman known as Mary Magdalene two thousand years ago. Gave me "The Red Tent" (Anita Diamant) vibes! -another 5 star read.
Its not preachy at all in the 'Christian sense' which I appreciated.
I found the story of her relationship with her handicapped friend very moving and brought a lot of understanding to something that is foreign to me.
The story moved me to tears at one point. That is how well the characters are written!
My first five-star read since April :)
bookfey's review against another edition
5.0
A page turner. A heart stirrer. A smile maker.
This is an imagining of what may have brought a young girl to become the woman known as Mary Magdalene two thousand years ago. Gave me "The Red Tent" (Anita Diamant) vibes! -another 5 star read.
Its not preachy at all in the 'Christian sense' which I appreciated.
I found the story of her relationship with her handicapped friend very moving and brought a lot of understanding to something that is foreign to me.
The story moved me to tears at one point. That is how well the characters are written!
My first five-star read since April :)
This is an imagining of what may have brought a young girl to become the woman known as Mary Magdalene two thousand years ago. Gave me "The Red Tent" (Anita Diamant) vibes! -another 5 star read.
Its not preachy at all in the 'Christian sense' which I appreciated.
I found the story of her relationship with her handicapped friend very moving and brought a lot of understanding to something that is foreign to me.
The story moved me to tears at one point. That is how well the characters are written!
My first five-star read since April :)
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
The writing of this is very lyrical. It's an interesting take on Mary Magdalene, deeply rooted in the culture and context of the time.
ifthebook's review against another edition
3.0
This was good. It was an interesting look at a life and how one can and cannot conform to a society. Also, it's become clear to me that everyone thinks Mary Magdalene was at least a little bit nuts.
crowyhead's review against another edition
3.0
A charming bit of Biblical fiction that speculates on Mary Magdalene's origins. Miriam is a lively, inquisitive child, but all her prospects are shattered the day she has her first epileptic seizure -- if anyone ever finds out, she will be considered unclean. However, Miriam is resourceful, and she will learn to make her own way in the world...
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