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In Adams' account, Mary of Magdala, who had the great fortune to meet and revere Jesus of Nazareth, was born with a lineage of abuse. She, in turn, is sexually abused by her power-crazed father. She becomes mistrustful, desperate, and fearful. She flees in adolescence, living in the wild where one day she meets Jesus, gleamingly dressed in white. He obliterates her inner demons. She immediately, intuitively follows Jesus, joining his male companions and his welcoming mother, Mary, and will later see him arrested and crucified. It is Mary Magdalene who first discovers that the Master has departed his tomb. She begins spending time with the disciple John, who, at Jesus' orders, is taking care of the older Mary. Though John and Mary Magdalene are young and in love, they do not marry. He must depart to help Jesus' disciples preach the new gospel. But the two remain in close contact, and through her inspirational experience of the Master, she will significantly assist John in composing his account of his years with Jesus.
Adams, who has diligently studied the life of Mary the Magdalene, is a highly imaginative, inventive biographer. She brings her protagonist to life from the outset: a disillusioned youngster rising to a lofty level of genuine spiritual enlightenment. The author relates how Mary plays a key role in spreading Jesus' gospel when it is still an unlawful sect. She travels boldly throughout Europe, recognized among her peers as a unique spokesperson for the Master's doctrine and emphasizing forgiveness. A meeting with her dying father highlights this, as he asks and receives her sincere forgiveness for his early maltreatment of her. The work Adams has done to bring Mary's story to light deserves the attention of thoughtful Christians and will provide a source of lively discussion among them.