About the bookTitle: Dawn of Grace
Author: Jill Eileen Smith
Published by: Revell
Genres: Biblical Historical Fiction
Format: Kindle
Pages: 368
Source: Purchased
From her earliest days, Mary Magdalene has known fear and loss at a level so deep she has no hope of surfacing. Bound to the demons within her and incapable of freeing herself, Mary walks in shadow--until one day she encounters a healer, a rabbi who is radically different from the religious leaders and family members who could do nothing to help her. One touch from Jesus and Mary is never the same.
Now, Mary's one mission in life is to serve the one who freed her. She is determined never to leave his side, fearing that if she loses him, she'll return to her former bondage. Even when the unthinkable happens and her savior is arrested and sentenced to execution, she cannot abandon him as so many others did. Let her be buried in his tomb, for she cannot live without him.
On the brink of despair, Mary is about to discover that while the life of faith is never perfect, perfect love casts out fear--and Jesus makes all things new.
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My Thoughts:
Jill Eileen Smith was one of the first biblical fiction authors I read when I first started blogging back in 2007. I fell in love with her ability to take the stories from the Bible, by giving our heroes/heroines legs, walking straight out of the Bible into our everyday lives.
Can we just talk for a second about how beautiful the cover is? When I saw it last year, I knew I would need it for my shelf. Mary looking up at Christ is how I've always pictured her as I grew up.
We've all been Mary Magdalene at one time ... we all needed His healing touch, and some of us are still longing for that touch.
Jill Eileen Smith takes Mary Magdalene and creates a story of how she may have become possessed by the demons. Her creation is very plausible given the time. She also shows how Mary becomes literally dependent on Christ. She doesn't think she can survive without Him.
This is an absolutely beautiful story of Jesus accepting the worst in society, comforting them, showing that no matter who they are or what they've done, they are loved by God who created them, and so loved that Christ would die on a cross for them.
Bottom Line:
This book is a beautiful depiction of Mary Magdalene and her demon possession. Mary is desperate, and once Christ comes on the scene, she wonders if He could do for her what He's done for so many others. Ms. Smith shows the true Comforter, Christ, is within these pages. If you've never read a book by Jill Eileen Smith, this is a good one to start with. There is so much more I could say, but I seriously do not want to ruin the reading experience.
About Jill Eileen Smith
Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King and Star of Persia: Esther's Story. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.
You can learn more about Jill at her website and follow her on the following social media platforms. Facebook || Instagram || Twitter
