The Expected One

For me Kathleen McGowan's "Magdalene Line" trilogy is a spiritual tour-de-force which finally made sense of 2000 years of history and a lifetime of confused teachings of western religion. Based on almost two decades of historical research and inspired with her own personal spiritual vision it opened my eyes to a truth which, as she writes, is there "for those with eyes to see." This first book, "The Expected One", takes place alternately in the present time and two thousand years ago, with the heroine Maureen researching, discovering and re-membering events from the time of Jesus. These are exquisitely told through passages from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, discovered as the book unfolds and alternating as flash-backs with events in present time. Teachings of compassion, deep forgiveness and equal place for the voice of the divine feminine in all matters spiritual and temporal. The second book, " The Book of Love (The Magdalene Line) ", should only be read after the first (or you will, in my opinion, be cheating yourself of a wonderful reading experience and perhaps also the truly life-changing opportunity which these books offer). It weaves together three main time periods and is infused with its teachings of the Way of Love in ways which touch the heart and mind again and again both directly and subtly as these teachings are illustrated in the lives of its characters. Balance of masculine and feminine, expression of love in its many aspects, personal and universal, and service to truth form a rich tapestry as, in the words of the book, "The Time Returns." The third book, " The Poet Prince: A Novel (Magdalene Line) ", continues the story with the same contemporary characters, this time illuminating the time of the Renaissance as Kathleen McGowan shows her mastery in combining extensive historical research with her own very special talent to enter the lives and places of those she writes about and bring fresh spiritual insight into their place in history and in our lives today. It also explores the place of prophecy and the duty we may have to fulfill it, or to give it fresh meaning. Like all the best trilogies, "The Magdalene Line" does not end with three books, and I await the delight of reading the fourth book when it appears. Thank you Kathleen. P.S. in case it's not clear from the above, these are deeply spiritual books, full of love and wisdom, presented in the form of novels - do not confuse them with other contemporary murder mystery novels which toss in a smattering of mysticism!

As a mystery, this book is a page turner. It's exciting and very well written. It draws you in quickly and doesn't let you escape. As a religious historical fiction, I feel that it plays a pivotal role in balancing the narrative/history of the Christian church. For too long, we have been denied access to the full truth as to the beginnings of Christianity. To be exposed to unseen/unknown alternative historical accounts, whether true or not, allow me, the reader, to make the decision myself as to the validity of the information presented. I am so happy that I bought this series and applaud Kathleen McGowan for taking on such a controversial topic. Book 2, here I come.

The Expected One The Book of Love These are the first two novels of the projected `Magdalene Line' trilogy. The Magdalene Line is a line running nearly due south from Amiens in northern France thru Paris to Montserrat in Northeastern Spain (some miles northwest of Barcelona). The somewhat controversial thesis of these books is that Miriam of Magdala (Mary Magdalene) was the wife of the first-century Jewish prophet Yeshua bar Miriam (known among English speakers as Jesus) and the mother of two children by him, and that after her husband was crucified, she escaped first to Alexandria in Egypt and later to what is now southeastern France, and lived for many more years in the Pyrenees Mountains not far from the Magdalene line. The known fact (long suppressed by the Church) that Miriam of Magdala was Yeshua's First Apostle, the Apostle to the Apostles, leads naturally enough to the speculation of a romantic connection. Richard J. Hooper argues quite reasonably that, given the religious value placed on celibacy, it is most unlikely.* It is indeed almost unbelievable that Yeshua would have entered into any romantic involvement once he decided to begin his ministry or shortly prior thereto. But we know virtually nothing of his life before he felt the call to preach; it is not at all unreasonable to speculate that during that period of his life he might have married and that Miriam of Magdala may have become his wife. I would like to believe it so, because I believe he more than deserved the comfort of a loving and understanding wife. But I am not convinced either way. Some of the other details of Yeshua's life as portrayed here are highly dubious, for example the portrayal of Judas Iscariot's `betrayal' of Yeshua as analogous to Severus Snape's `betrayal' of Albus, but if I can suspend disbelief to read and greatly enjoy novels of alternate history such as Eric Flint's wonderful 1632 and its sequels, then I reckon I can bear with Kathleen McGowan's portrayal of Yeshua bar Miriam; and the tale she tells has enough action, suspense, and excitement, real history, and even food for thought, to be well worth bearing with. Maureen Paschal, a writer, is the primary point-of-view character of the trilogy. The first novel, The Expected One, alternates between the story of Maureen finding a long-hidden gospel written in France by Miriam of Magdala and the story of Miriam herself. The second, The Book of Love, similarly alternates between Maureen's adventures while seeking and finding a copy of The Book of Love, written by Yeshua bar Miriam himself and secretly preserved in a monastery near the northern end of the Magdalene line, and the at least mostly historical story of the eleventh-century Countess Mathilda of Canossa, Duke Godfrey of Lorraine and his son Godfrey the hunchback, King Henry IV of Germany, and Pope Gregory VII (all actual historical characters). I look forward to the third novel of this trilogy * Richard J. Hooper, The Crucifixion of Mary Magdalene: The Historical Tradition of the First Apostle and the Ancient Church's Campaign to Suppress It [...]

Arrived perfectly. I'd previously ordered a used copy which turned out to be battered and smelly, never again! I'm still reading this great book, so well written and researched.

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This book felt like reading the story my heart knew all along, like coming home and waking up all at once. I’ve now read it twice, traveled to France inspired by the words in these pages and can see this being one of the most read books on my book shelves! A must read for all called to the Magdalene frequency and story.

Great book

Une lecture très instructive, des informations, une formulation et un contenu très vastes. A conseiller à tous ceux qui s'intéressent à ce qui fait sens sur cette terre.