Mary Queen of Scotland and The Isles by Margaret George

New York Times bestselling author Margaret George captures history’s most enthralling queen as she confronts rivals to her throne and to her heart.

If only history lessons had been like this’ ‘Cosmopolitan’. The suitors are obliged to honour their oath and so the Trojan War begins the most pivotal event in the history of ancient Greece…Īnd the tragedy of these individuals. When she falls for Paris of Troy it is assumed that he has taken her by force, when her actions are far more complex. Kings and princes compete for her hand in marriage, and she marries Menelaus of Sparta, but before marrying him all her other suitors swear to help bring Helen back should she ever be abducted again. Her beauty is so overwhelming and dangerous that, as a child, she is protected from seeing her reflection. Using her unique gift for research and recreation, Margaret George brings to life a Helen who was a tantalizing enigma from the very first, flesh and blood certainly, but also immortal, as the daughter of Zeus. A war, which lasted for 10 years, was fought over her and nearly all the stories of the heroic age were bound into her story a measure of her capacity to galvanise men into action. Bridging the gap for readers of Antonia Fraser and fans of The Red Tent, Mary, Called Magdalene transcends both history and fiction to become a ‘diary of a soul.’īestselling novelist, Margaret George, here imagines the story of Helen of Sparta and Troy, one of the most amazing female mythical characters, ancient or modern. Testaments, letters, and narrative convincingly capture Mary’s immediate and moving voice as she becomes part of the circle of disciples and comes to grips with the divine. Brilliantly grounded in both biblical and secular historical research, it depicts Mary of Magdala in the first hundred years of the first millennium even as it peels away layers of legend.

Was she a prostitute, a female divinity figure, a church leader, or all of those? Hallmarked by bestselling author Margaret George’s dazzling mix of history and creativity, Mary, Called Magdalene is George’s most ambitious work yet. We know more about her than about many of Christ’s male disciples, and her significance is enshrined in her ancient honorific ‘Apostle to the Apostles.’ But still, as a woman, she remains in shadow. Magdalene are tantalizingly brief, yet she continues to spark controversy, curiosity, and veneration.

Mary Queen of Scotland and The Isles by Margaret George