Lona Lyons does an excellent job in writing her version of Mary Magdalene's story. She begins by taking you back in time to the days when Mary was with Jesus and his disciples. She explains how Peter was responsible for perpetuating the lies about her being a prostitute. Peter had to overcome his jealousy of her relationship with Jesus. Lyons brings you into the present with a story about how Mary manages to connect with Martha, Ruth and Sarah in their present day incarnations.

Lyons also does an excellent job in presenting her story. She writes in a way that draws the reader into reflecting on the divinity that we carry within ourselves and our connection to humanity. She writes about how we fall short of our expectations within ourselves. We carry within ourselves the feelings of unworthiness and the fear of being unlovable. Lyons reminds us that we usually don't wake up to this falsehood until our deaths when we encounter the Divine Spirit that resides within us. She writes, "The work of heroes demands that we no longer put off our awakening until death. We do not have to die to get it.” This passage real

ly resonated with me. I do not want to wait until I die to wake up now. Lyons is able to convey this message to the reader in an easily understandable way by engaging them in this fictional story.

I highly recommend "Magdalene Dispensation" to people who enjoy reading fictional stories that take them on a journey into a deeper level of exploration within themselves. This book would be excellent for spiritual women's readers groups, especially because of the feeling of empowerment that is gained by the reader when she understands the importance that women's roles played in the life of Christ.

Book review: "The Magdalene Dispensation" By Lona Lyons Infinity Publishing (2004) Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/06)

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