The Song of the Magdalene

by Donna Jo Napoli

Book Overview

The story of a teenage Mary Magdalene -- here called Miriam -- is finally told.... When the world goes dark and her mind explodes within her, Miriam's future is shattered. In ancient Israel such... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590937057
• ISBN13: 9780590937054
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.3" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Refreshing Take on People with Disabilities

I loved how this story evolved, although it did take a different twist than what I was hoping/expecting.

A spirited retelling of a mysterious Biblical character

Miriam is a thoughtful, fun-loving child who suffers her first fit at the age of ten and believes herself to be possessed by demons. She deprives herself of dancing and bright colours for years in an attempt to appease the Creator, but the fits continue. As she blossoms into a young woman she falls in love with Abraham, her servant Hannah's crippled son. The two are united in their isolation and deep views on religion and the world. Abraham eventually sickens and dies, leaving Miriam pregnant. But Miriam's struggles haven't ended: she is raped by a villager and miscarries. "Song of the Magdalene" follows her journey for understanding and compassion at the hands of others. At the end of the novel she joins up with Jesus and becomes a healer, finally finding peace. Jesus turns to the crowd of onlookers after Miriam suffers a fit and says, "This woman has no devils within her. Not seven, not one. None." "And I kept a song in my mouth always ready," Miriam tells us, "for there were many souls to heal."Donna Jo Napoli fleshes out a mysterious character from the New Testament with grace, insight and compassion. Miriam does seem much more 20th century--a feminist who disagrees with wearing veils, having to stay at home, and wanting everyone to know of her illness and accept it, to accept her and Abraham. Strong character development and attention to detail make this a pleasure to read again and again. Napoli brings first-century Israel to life, full of exotic scents, colours and sounds, and examines the life of Mary Magdalene and Jesus from another perspective.

such a wonderful book it's hard to describe with mere words

Amazing is the way I would describe this book. The characters are so alive and the story kept my heart pounding the whole time. It was so hard to put this book down! Definitely one of my all time favorites!

A beautiful testament to love

'I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine'-So goes a line of Solomon that perfectly describes this book. This book puts a new spin onto the story of Mary Magdalene. It makes her a truly unique individual in a time and place where individuality was scorned. The heartbreaking relationship between Miriam and Abraham forms the 'back-bone' of this marvelous book. Read this book to see what love should be,the joining of two souls in pure bliss.

Wonderful!

Miriam (Mary Magdalene) is made into such a real character in this novel. Like Zel and The Magic Circle, this book is impossible to put down. I kept my family waiting for me at dinner for about 20 minutes when I just had to keep reading. The writing is beautiful and the moral issues this book brings up are very interesting. It is a wonderful book set in a time period that is not used much in YA fiction. Did I mention, this book is one of my favorites of all time? The subject matter is definitely for older readers--only ages 14 up (I'm 15)--but anyone old enough should read it.

I thought this was a great book in all aspects.

Song of the Magdalene -Donna Jo Napoli This was a book of very good quality, bordering on excellence. I believe this book could be read at the grade seven or eight level, although the subject matter is more appropriate for grades nine to eleven. This book would appeal to most regular readers, but not all. The timeline of the story is around 05 AD to 25 AD. Set in what is now Israel, this book has vivid scenes in mostly the town Magdala, and also various other places along the River Jordan. This book is an excellent reference to get a view of life in this time and place. Song of the Magdalene is a fictional story of the young Mary Magdalene. Her family a quite respected in her village, and they are not poor, to say the least. Miriam lives with her father, her servant friend Hannah and Hannah's paraplegic son Abraham. At the age of ten she leads a rather normal life until the occurrence of her first fit.(seizure) In her culture and religion having a physical affliction is seen as evil and a fit represents an evil sprit entering your body. Miriam is a smart girl; because of this she knows that she must not let anyone find out about her fits, or she will be labeled as impure and be a social disgrace. To hide she spends her days in the valleys and forests, when she should be doing chores, preparing herself to be a wife. Eventually Abraham, who is always stuck at home, convinces Miriam to bring him along on her excursions. Because he joins her, when she has her second fit he finds out about them, he assures her neither of them are evil. As they become closer Abraham teaches Miriam to sing the Song of Songs and to read the torah, two skills only men regularly have. They grow very close and an incident soon after sends Miriam's world spinning. All her secrets torn open, all her lies exposed. She is sent away. After much searching she finds herself, and the story ends where the fact from the bible begins, as Miriam meets Jesus. This book is very factual and the religious aspects of it are quite realistic. It is interesting to compare the social roles of men and women portrayed in this book to those of today, it sure has changed. I would consider this book quite an easy read with mature subject matter, which is not the best combination. Although Overall I would consider this book extremely good in all aspects including writing, historical facts, reality and to top it all off an adventurous story line.