Poisoned Honey

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 - 11:45 AM CST

Taking the reader back to biblical times through the story of a controversial character, Beatrice Gormley writes Poisoned Honey: A Story of Mary Magdalene.

Written in first person, Poisoned Honey tells of the life of Mary (called Mariamne/Mari in the book) from her childhood to the time she decided to follow Jesus Christ. Readers are given great detail regarding the Jewish customs, arranged marriages and religious ceremonies. Also in the story is Matthew, the tax collector's son. The stories of the two alternate until they come together in their time of following Christ.

Mary's story was very intriguing; however, I found the back and forth between her and Matthew's stories confusing. Perhaps a young man would be more interested in his story, but I was tempted to skip ahead to the next chapter. I also was disappointed that the story only went to the time of their first following Jesus. I think the story would be especially interesting to follow Mary as she traveled with Jesus, saw His crucifixion and then found Him raised from the grave. Truly that would be the happiest ending.

Despite the confusion, Poisoned Honey is a good read. Young adults, leaders and parents will appreciate the research and work put into this story. I recommend this book especially to young ladies. However, young men may find the story interesting to a point also. Poisoned Honey would also be great for a young ladies' Bible study.

Pros: The author put in a lot of research to include all the Jewish customs and rituals. It is a good romance story without mature details.

Cons: The alternating chapters from Mary to Matthew were confusing and took away interest. The story would have been better if it included more of Mary's encounters and time spent with Jesus.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars