The moment I start reading The Last Magdalene, I am immediately pulled into a world of a world that goes far beyond the realm of existence. As I read the first chapter of The Last Magdalene, I immediately feel many emotions for the main character, who is so young yet bears a heavy responsibility for what she will face in the future. I am captivated by her determination and courage and I find myself rooting for her to get what she most desires.
When children her age just want to run, jump, and play and have fun. She just wants the comfort of her mother’s arms and to fall asleep as her mother reads her a story. But everyone needs to grow up at some point in their lives, and for her it is at a very young stage. So going through the journey with this young girl you come to feel like your heart strings are being pulled upon.
As I read 50 or more pages in I get the sense that this story is going into the direction of ‘the chosen one’ trope and there is only one main character and a few side characters. Though it is refreshing to read a story that is on the other side of the Roman empire and getting to see the imparts that the Romans had on the people that they called enemies or barbarians.
The pacing of The Last Magdalene is steady but a little slow for my own personal taste and I do think parts of it could be expanded on to make the world building a little more vivid. The story telling aspect is on point if you like a slow burner book and well if you like to jump right into the action then this book may not be for you but if you are a patient reader and enjoy getting to learn all about the characters then you should definitely give this book a try.
I do really like how this is a female driven story and how author Conrad hasn’t been afraid to show her reader that… YES… women do, too, have needs that need fulfilling and aren’t afraid to let it be known. Not only are they passionate but they also get jealous when it comes to the men they love.
‘I looked up at her and realized for the first time how old she must be,
how many Qedeshah she must have served; and my respect for her and her
homespun wisdom grew. “Thank you, Yanobe. For all you do for me … and
the others.”
“It is my honor to serve the vessels of Asherah.”
“Were you once a priestess?”
She laughed loudly. “No, Lady. I came here as a child when my family
had too many mouths to feed. I was put to service filling the baths when I
was but two and ten and have been blessed with the care of Qedeshah since
I was but four and ten.” Her boney hand reached out and ran softly along
my face. “And so I shall remain for all my days, if The Queen of Heaven
deems it proper.”
“How long have you known Barabbas?”
She puckered her lips and looked to the ceiling. “Since he first set foot
in this tower. You were still a child, and he barely more than a boy of what?
Fifteen? Maybe Sixteen, but not more than that.”
She babbled on, but I stopped hearing her words at the knowing that
Barabbas had been coming to the Tower at least since I was six. How many
of the women in this tower had he been with? Was he still seeing Zuar? Zipporah?
How would I ever know? I could not keep from crying. My tears rose
and fell until Yanobe noticed and stopped talking.
She took a silken cloth and dabbed my eyes, sputtering apologies for
ranting on like a market hag. I assured her I was only upset about
bar Solomon and dismissed her, for it was nearly dark. When she left,
I reapplied kohl to my red eyes and fresh lip rouge. My heart ached,
and I longed for his touch and knew I could not live without Barabbas
no matter his past, or present.
This may scare a lot of people off if I’m honest or maybe I’m being too sensitive about my fellow readers and it may be the opposite. It may get you excited and ready to read more. I’ll i know for sure was I enjoyed it and though it was a good telling of how a woman’s emotion is portrayed when it comes to loving a man.
It shows how far a woman would be willing to go to be with a man that she loves, even if he may not know it. Even if hes half the world away, fighting in battles and risking his life everyday. Nothing will stop her.
As I continue to read through the book I start to think about who might be interested in reading this book and my thoughts come to mostly women who may like to read this book or anyone who has a curiosity about the people of kingdoms that opposed the Roman Empire, so maybe history buffs or people who grew up or lived in Israel.
I think those who are interested in the history of the Roman Empire would also find this book interesting. Other potential readers could include academics and scholars who have an interest in ancient civilizations.
As the story goes on I start to feel it takes a ever so smaller changes that hold the main character back. She was once this determined, strong woman who would do anything to get what she wanted then she becomes this person who does as she’s told and has no complaints and I start to miss her old self.
‘My patience with Yeshua held little sway with Salome. “Are you
mad?” she asked as she paced back and forth at the foot of my
marriage bed.
“No. And you have made your point. Now leave it be. I will handle
Yeshua in my own way.”
“Handle him?” she stopped and closed her eyes. “He is walking the hills
with his men, out in the open for everyone to see—on the first day of your
confinement. He should not have left this room for three days!” She raised
her hands to the ceiling. “This cannot be happening. Please, Mother, tell me
this is not happening.”
“Pray all you want; it will change nothing. I will take whatever time is
needed to win his trust. And it may take some time, for my husband is not
a puppet to be pulled here and there at the whim of anyone.”
“Is he not?”
“No.”
She turned and walked to my dressing table. “So, tell me of this newfound patience of yours.” She picked up my silver brush and toyed with
the bristles.
“Remove the mocking tone from your voice and I might.”
She looked over her shoulder and raised one eyebrow. “You forget Bethany, I raised you. Watched you blossom into a woman of passion and power.
I know your husband is a pious man, but a man nonetheless, subject to the
desires of all men. He is Mashiach! And kings must have heirs. And there is
only one way to conceive a child, despite tales to the contrary.”’
This shows how she got married even though she said she never would, how she barely defends the man who is to become her husband. Even though her younger self would have never been in this situation in the first place. But I guess we all need to grow up at some point and learn not to take everything that is said to us as an aggressive act towards us, rather act calmly and respond in a manner worthy of the person we are speaking too.
If I had any pros and cons to this book it would be this. For the pros I’d say it is an enjoyable book with a well thought out plot line and a compelling main character that you can take you on a journey with. There’s a steady pace that starts slow but quickly picks up speed at a moderate speed. For the cons, I would have to say there are a few scenes that made me feel very uncomfortable and I just wanted them to be over with and they may be even more uncomfortable for women to read through.
Overall, I enjoyed The Last Magdalene but some people may not due to this one subject matter. Though don’t let this one thing stop you, I would recommend reading the book with an open-mindedness and careful consideration of some of the themes.
So if you have liked this review or have found in intriguing to say the least. Grab your copy from amazon and I can personally guaranty that you will love it. Just as I did. When the dust settles over her youth and she finds out who she’s meant to be, or meant to become.
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