Mary of Magdala: The story of the Church as you should have known it

by Joanna Courtney

A devoted follower.

At the dawn of a new era, Mary of Magdala is swept up by the radical teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. But her choice to follow him comes at a great her family's disapproval and rejection.

A woman with a voice.

Together with her companions Prisca and Lydia, Mary begins a journey to share the message of love, hope, and renewal in a world where women's voices are silenced. As they face hostile crowds and the ever-present threat of persecution, their determination is tested, their faith redefined.

A leader ready to rise.

As the early Christian community struggles to find its footing, Mary discovers the strength within herself to inspire and help shape a movement that will echo through history.

This is the story of the church through the eyes of the women who helped build it.

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2025

About the author

My first literary accolade was a creative writing prize at primary school and from that point on I wanted to be a novelist. I was always reading as a child and often made up stories for my brother and sister on long car journeys. I was also a huge Enid Blyton fan and by ten I was writing my own (doubtless terrible) boarding school novels. Perhaps inevitably, I took my degree in English literature and it was at Cambridge, specialising in medieval literature, that I first discovered what has become a true passion for ancient history.

I took a sidestep after university to work in a wonderful textiles factory in Lancashire - a move that led me to my lovely husband, but didn't satisfy my yearning to write. Married and living in Derbyshire, however, I took up my pen again in the sparse hours available between raising my two stepchildren and two more of my own. At that hectic time, I primarily wrote shorter fiction and I've had well over 200 stories and serials published in women's magazines. As my children began to grow up and then leave home, however, I have had more time to write.
My passion is freeing women from either the obscurity or the mistruths of male-dominated history. My first trilogy, The Queens of the conquest, is about the women fighting to be Queen of England in 1066 - Edyth of Mercia, wife of King Harold; Elizaveta of Kiev; wife of Harald Hardrada; and Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror.
My second explores the true story of three of Shakespeare's most famous - and most maligned heroines - Lady Macbeth, Ophelia and Cordelia.

I also write WW2 fiction as Anna Stuart.

Reviews

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a good weave of the stories of the women who led the early churches.

I was really excited that this book was coming out. I loved Cleopatra and Julius and the complex relationship between Salome and her mother in the author’s previous books.
I have also read many theories about Mary of Magdala’s role in Jesus’ life. Some naming her his partner/ wife/ healer/ source of huge inspiration.

I was disappointed that the book didn’t explore these standpoints more. The narrative also begins years after Jesus’ death and it feels like a lot of the key moments in the character’s lives has already happened.

I really enjoyed hearing the story of Jesus in Salome from the view points of characters who were not immediate converts but grappled with the conflicts that arise from the emergence of a new religion. In comparison this book offered less to me as a non-christian.

Many of the interesting features across the story lines in this book came from the embellishments of the characters rather than the context of the time which would definitely have been extremely interesting politically but this is sort of casually brushed over.