Lesa Bellevie is the founder and webmaster of www.Magdalene.org, currently the most comprehensive website about Mary Magdalene. This encyclopedic compilation of information about the biblical figure and her relationship with Jesus is an amazing resource. The paperback is organized into sections on Mary Magdalene: A Complicated Woman; The Biblical Mary Magdalene; The Legendary Mary Magdalene; The Gnostic Mary Magdalene; Thoroughly Modern Magdalene; and Exploring Mary Magdalene.

Many aspects of this extraordinary woman are covered in detail, including her being seen as a prostitute, a penitent, a witness, a patron saint, a person with demons, a companion of Jesus, a visionary, an apostle to the apostles, a temple priestess, the wife of Jesus, and a source of interest in art and popular culture. Bellevie has done a top-notch job bringing this material together and making sense of it all. The book concludes with a fine list of books, websites, a chronology, and a glossary.