In the parched soil of Provence, a fifth gospel has been discovered, Mary Magdalene's account of Jesus' teaching and her relationship with him.

It is a book of revelation, for it unveils a new Christianity, one which embraces the female equally with the male and acknowledges and celebrates women's spirituality. A passionate story of love and search, of separation and rebirth, The Secret Gospel imagines an alternative history for the much maligned Mary Magdalene, where she runs away from her family but returns to be captivated, both emotionally and theologically, by Jesus.

The Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene is a brilliant and moving vision of Christianity that is also startlingly modern in its conclusions.

Before, there were four Gospels - by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Now there is a fifth - the Gospel according to Mary Magdalene.

About the Author
Novelist and poet Michele Roberts was educated at a convent school before studying at Somerville College, Oxford, and University College, London. She was Visiting Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia in 1992, where she is currently Professor of Creative Writing, and Research Fellow in Writing (1995-6) at Nottingham Trent University (now Visiting Professor). She is Chair of the British Council literature advisory panel and is a regular book reviewer and broadcaster. Michele Roberts was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1999. She lives in London and in Mayenne, France. She was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France) in 2000.

Reviews
Bold and moving * Guardian *
An assured tour de force of passion...the power with which it reclaims spiritual and sexual strength for women cannot be ignored * Time Out *
By her rich use of symbols and metaphor she transforms feminist cliche into something alive and moving * Times Literary Supplement *
A complex and highly original novel * Sunday Times *



Book Information
ISBN 9780099507697
Author Michele Roberts
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Vintage
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 139g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 13mm