The Passion of Mary Magdalen: The Maeve Chronicles    by Elizabeth Cunningham Order:  USA  Can Monkfish, 2006 (2006) Hardcover    Reviewed by Kerrily Sapet Novelist Elizabeth Cunningham has set out to provide the real scoop on Mary Magdalen. This book is the second in Cunningham's Maeve Chronicles, a three part series about Mary Magdalen. Originally named Maeve, Mary first meets Jesus in her Celtic homeland where she saves his life. After a forced separation, they are determined once again to find each other. Maeve however is sold into slavery and snapped up by a wealthy Roman woman who runs a ritzy brothel. Left with little choice, Maeve becomes an accomplished prostitute until she attempts an escape. Sold to a spoiled young matron with a family secret, Maeve continues to be fiery and outspoken. She soon becomes a priestess of Isis, serving as a lover and a healer, all the while searching for her beloved Esus, as he is called in her native language. After she is freed, Maeve travels to Palestine only to discover that Jesus has vanished. Maeve opens up the Temple of Magdela, a holy whorehouse, where she welcomes the downtrodden. Finally, she is reunited with her love. Both stormy and charismatic characters, Maeve and Jesus defy the stereotypes in this - Mary Magdalen's - version of the way things really happened. Cunningham provides an interesting perspective of biblical history in this book. Maeve is an original narrator, complete with an unedited voice. While the story is told to today's reader, Maeve splashes in current slang and comments, such as holy moly and a reference to Scarlet O'Hara. Such references distracted me from the story, despite the attempt to provide a humorous connection with modern times. Listen to a podcast interview with Elizabeth Cunningham at WrittenVoices.com Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews