Jewel of Persia :: Reading to Know Book Club

I didn't really give you all very much warning about this title and I'm sorry for that. It sort of got lost in the shuffle of life! This month's pick was Jewel of Persia, by Roseanna M. White. The discussion is being led by Annette from This Simple Home.

I confess that I (Carrie) did not read this book. As y'all know, I'm not a terribly big fan of Christian fiction (although this is not technically that) so I wasn't sure I wanted to buy a copy of this one. I thought I'd get it from the library and discovered too late that my library doesn't have a copy. Annette graciously let me off the hook for this one but I'm very pleased that she is sharing her thoughts on it.

It should be noted that this isn't termed "Christian fiction" but "Biblical Fiction." I have an ongoing debate in my head over whether or not I like Biblical fiction. Part of me wonders what kind of trouble such books are going to cause in the future, after we've spent time digesting them. I did read Francine Rivers' A Lineage of Grace (linked to my thoughts) and did like it. I just have this question burning in the back of my brain.  For the while, I'm withholding personal judgement. ;) But here are Annette's thoughts on this title which are worth reading through:


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When Carrie asked me to choose a book for the Reading to Know Book Club, I deliberated for quite a while. In the end I chose a book that I had been eager to read for a couple of years. As it happens, it was not the typical book club choice, being biblical fiction, but I am glad to have read Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White.

The amazing part of this biblical fiction book is that most of the plot is actual history recorded in the Bible or the ancient Greek text called Histories by Herodutus. This is the way biblical fiction should be - in my opinion. Roseanna has a great Companion Guide where you can read more about how she used the actual events and wove them into a good story.

You likely know the story of Esther, the young Jew who becomes queen of Persia. Jewel of Persia is not so much her story as a fictional character - Kaisa's- story. Kaisa has a chance meeting that leads her to quickly become a concubine of King Xerxes. She quickly becomes the favorite of his many wives and concubines within the harem. This, of course, leads to much friction, especially with the king's own mother...who is determined to eliminate Xerxes' greatest love.

This Jewish girl accepts the terms of her marriage-the emotional upheaval of sharing a husband-though not without some difficulty.  She is also living in the palace among those who worship gods, which leads Kaisa to finally and fully rely upon the one true God.

I really appreciated how the plot's twists and turns are actually based on facts. Of course, historians didn't necessarily include the motives and specific methods behind all actions, so Roseanna White used her imagination to create a fuller story than what is documented as fact.

We were introduced to Esther early in the story as Kaisa's closest childhood friend. She plays a small role throughout the book, and as expected, becomes Queen Esther.

I had been incredibly excited to finally read Jewel of Persia. Unfortunately, I had a rather difficult month and my reading was spotty. I was more than halfway through the book before I could devote an hour (in one sitting) to it. I think this is why I enjoyed the second half of the book, especially the last quarter, so much. While the beginning definitely held my interest, it was harder for me to dive into due to reading in short bursts. I do think it is a good biblical fiction book. (For the record, this was so much better than A Reluctant Queen - another fictional account about Esther that really just irritated me.)

If you have not read Jewel of Persia yet, I would suggest reading the first chapter...and then read the book for yourself. I do recommend it.

One thing that I am still considering is the impact I have on a person by notpraying for them. I thank Roseanna for causing me to ponder this.

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I'm rather curious myself. Thank you, Annette, for taking the time to read through it and present us to it. I really appreciated hearing your thoughts.

Did any of you read this book? I hope you'll share your thoughts with us in the comment section below or by writing up a post of your own and sharing the link!

Next month's pick:

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. It is a surprisingly quick read and a holiday classic, so I hope you'll join in! The discussion will be lead by myself. Which is perfect irony since it's Dickens.