Divine~ by Karen Kingsbury

"Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he cast seven demons."


~Mark 16:9

Let me just start by saying that this book is intense. Divine is a modern day story inspired by the life of Mary Magdalene, a women out of whom Jesus cast out seven demons. This woman had a sordid past without hope, but she accepted Christ and became a woman of God and she was the first person that Jesus appeared to after His resurrection. The book tells the story of Mary Madison, a woman who endured unspeakable horrors as a child and in her past. But now she is an educated woman who turns to Jesus and lives her life opening shelters and helping others find escape from awful situations through belief in Christ. During the story she has the oppourtunity to tell her story to Emma, a young mom who feels trapped. The question is will Emma learn from Mary's story and accept the unconditional love of Christ?

This book was a very good, emotional read, that gives you hope that Jesus can rescue you from even from the most desperate situations if you only let him. I would not recommend this to younger readers because of the situations described. Although the descriptions are not graphic I think they are more suited to an older audience. Otherwise, if you are up for story, the read is well worth it.