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The Magdalene Diaries
From his heartfelt attunement to the spirit and mind of Mary Magdalene, Rob Grant has channeled her experiences in her own words. Walk with her through the halls of her memory. In her own words, Mary tells of her life, from her tumultuous childhood to her fateful meeting with Jesus. Listen as she describes her relationship with Mary, the mother of Jesus; her account of the Last Supper, the arrest and crucifixion of Christ; and her shocking discovery of the empty tomb. Only Mary Magdalene can tell the mysteries of Jesus' miracles - and tell the tale of her own journey from being a lady of the night to a lady of the light. Lady Magdalene, as Jesus calls her, also recounts the miraculous raising of her brother Lazarus from the grave, and the awe-inspiring account of his life on the other side. Experience the story of this remarkable woman’s life and learn her importance in the life of the Messiah. Her story is timeless and passionate, and one that will touch your heart.
145 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2005
43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 24, 2025
I have been struggling with this book for two weeks. Why???
I have never seen an author do what Robert J. Grant has done. While I fully understand this book is fictional I see it as deliberate prevarication. Grant takes two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE and makes them the same person. Why on earth would he do that? He writes that Mary Magdalene IS Mary of Bethany, the sister to Martha and Lazarus. There are several prominent Mary’s in the gospels and sometimes people easily confuse them. Surnames are often lacking or replaced by location names. But there is ample research and biblical exegesis available today to be able to distinguish most of the women in the gospels. In fact, there are books written about differentiating these women. Many women throughout the gospels remain completely nameless.
Why does this matter in a fictional story one may ask? If you purchased a book about George Washington would you accept in the first few chapters that he was actually John Adams? Of course not. If you selected a book about Mohammed Ali would you continue happily reading when he was turned into George Foreman? This isn’t fiction, it is nonsense.
There are many historical fiction and narrative fiction authors who are required to take some liberties when writing. They have to invent conversations for example. They need to approximate what they believe to have transpired between characters based on their extensive research. But this book is a bridge too far.
I write this review for the millions of people who love Mary Magdalene and want to come to know her better. Do not buy this book. I have read dozens of books about Mary Magdalene. This is the first one I would not recommend to anyone.
I have never seen an author do what Robert J. Grant has done. While I fully understand this book is fictional I see it as deliberate prevarication. Grant takes two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE and makes them the same person. Why on earth would he do that? He writes that Mary Magdalene IS Mary of Bethany, the sister to Martha and Lazarus. There are several prominent Mary’s in the gospels and sometimes people easily confuse them. Surnames are often lacking or replaced by location names. But there is ample research and biblical exegesis available today to be able to distinguish most of the women in the gospels. In fact, there are books written about differentiating these women. Many women throughout the gospels remain completely nameless.
Why does this matter in a fictional story one may ask? If you purchased a book about George Washington would you accept in the first few chapters that he was actually John Adams? Of course not. If you selected a book about Mohammed Ali would you continue happily reading when he was turned into George Foreman? This isn’t fiction, it is nonsense.
There are many historical fiction and narrative fiction authors who are required to take some liberties when writing. They have to invent conversations for example. They need to approximate what they believe to have transpired between characters based on their extensive research. But this book is a bridge too far.
I write this review for the millions of people who love Mary Magdalene and want to come to know her better. Do not buy this book. I have read dozens of books about Mary Magdalene. This is the first one I would not recommend to anyone.
February 20, 2026
I thought it was a good read just not completely scriptural.
March 1, 2014
I enjoyed reading the perspective of Mary Magdalene of her experience of Jesus.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews