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Jewel of Persia

by Roseanna White (Goodreads Author)

4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 · rating details · 129 ratings · 39 reviews

How can she love the king of kings without forsaking her Lord of lords?Kasia grew up in a poor Jewish home with more siblings than luxuries. But when a chance encounter forces her to the palace of Xerxes, she becomes a concubine to the richest man in the world. She alone, of all Xerxes' wives, loves the man beneath the crown. She alone, of all his wives, holds the heart of...more

Paperback, 348 pages

Published June 15th 2011 by Whitefire Publishing (first published December 29th 2010)

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Jun 09, 2011 Stephanie Landsem rated it 5 of 5 stars

Roseanna White has done a masterful job of weaving solid history, compelling characters and a biblical setting into a story so fascinating, I lost sleep. And sleep is important to me.

Yes, it is the story of Esther. Yes, it is the story of Xerxes, the Persian King. Both are compelling stories in their own right. But Jewel of Persia is much, much more. I love historical fiction, and so wasn’t taken aback by the list of almost 50 characters in the 340 page book. But that makes some people nervous....more

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Apr 05, 2011 Terri Harr rated it 5 of 5 stars

I knew a little more what to expect from this book since reading A Stray Drop of Blood. I had also read Chapter One that was offered on the website. Like her first book, the characters came alive from the very beginning. The ones you are supposed to love, I loved deeply. The ones you are supposed to despise, I despised just as deeply.

I love how Roseanna intertwines history with fiction is such a way it is hard to tell where the truth ends and fiction begins. She has lots of historical informati...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Angela Breidenbach rated it 4 of 5 stars

Roseanna White is a superb story teller! I couldn't put Jewel of Persia down! I loved the rich, engaging characters who lived in an incredibly well developed historical world. The fresh view of Esther's story from Kasia's eyes brought it to life for me. Vivid, beautiful, intense, and imbued with purpose. One of my favorite sections is near the beginning where Ms. White writes through Mordecai's wisdom, "He allows much tragedy, or so it seems to us. But we cannot see the future, precious Esther....more

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Sep 02, 2012 Tucker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished, eunuch

A simple, largely unbothersome love story. The embellished speculation on the historical characters was interesting, the plot was reasonable, and the prose was clean. However, probably because the American author has expressed her personal mission to understand literature through a Christian lens, the Jewish characters in this book don't express their Judaism in credible or convincing ways. Their style of prayer seems Christian. Also, it is odd that this love story is set in a harem and yet avoi...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Christine Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jewel of Persia is a glowing example of wonderful writing combined with a fascinating historical era and mesmerizing characters. But the author took me for a romantic spin I never expected with this story set just prior to the reign of Esther, the little Jewish Queen.

I was prepared for an epic tale set within the rich tapestry of a Biblical setting, the elegant and sophisticated kingdom of Xerxes, King of Persia. And this book fulfilled all its promises. At times the exploits of Xerxes reminded...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Sandi Rog rated it 5 of 5 stars

Delve into an incredible tale with a stunning backdrop that will sweep you away into an enchanting world of another time, bringing the Kingdom of Persia to life until you can see it, touch it, smell it . . . and taste it!

Jewel of Persia took my breath away! Roseanna White is an amazing storyteller, and as I read this brilliant story, the prose danced off the pages, breathing life into a host of characters. I fell in love with Kasia and Xerxes, and found myself cheering for them, loving them, de...more

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May 17, 2012 Malea rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book follows King Xerxes and a fictional concubine, Kasia, who is his favorite wife and great love. Although the love story is fictional, White knows her history well enough to make this seem probable. Although history paints Xerxes as a mad man, White gives him sane reasons for doing what he did and I found that I liked him well enough to root for him and Kasia. Esther, of course, figures prominently in this book too, but not as his great love, which I think the Biblical account would agre...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and the way Roseanna White was able to weave a beautiful story with a biblical background. Not only was it a lovely read but the history was absolutely fascinating. Her characters came alive and I couldn't put this book down.

The details of the king and court is really interesting and I loved reading how Xerxes controlled his court, he was a real hero...... even with countless wives and concubines ;) He was a man, a king and a ruler. Reading the book gave a fresh twist...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Kaity-Jane Culbertson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Roseanna has done it - what an INCREDIBLE book!

Jewel of Persia was amazing. The author did an excellent job of creating a historically accurate story that grips the reader's attention as few books do. Roseanna has definitely written a keeper.

Having researched a lot about Persia for the book a friend and I are writing a decade or so after Roseanna's ends, I was able to recognize the amount of accurate research Roseanna put into this story. Filled with surprising twists and well described situati...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Michelle Griep rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the familiar story of Esther but recounted in a fresh, new way. Author Roseanna M. White dishes up quite a love story filled with intrigue and danger, told from a perspective that’s fictional yet entirely believable.

Usually I think of King Xerxes as a womanizer, somewhat clueless, with a streak of evil running through him. After reading Jewel of Persia, he seems more of a real person, way more likeable, and I can even sympathize with him a bit. I’m not saying he’s my hero for life, just...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Christy Wilhelm rated it 5 of 5 stars

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This has to be one of the best books I’ve read all year. At times I loved Xerxes and at others I hated him. Kasia has to be commended for having the patients of a saint. The history is so complex and rich in this book, and yet Mrs. White makes it an enjoyable read and not a tedious history lesson. There are two different society’s in Jewel of Persia, the Jews and the Persians. They are gorgeously put on display for the reader in thi...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Rachelle Rea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

And I don't take the title of this review lightly.

It took me less than a day to finish Jewel of Persia. I loved it. Absolutely adored it. I fell in love with the rich characterization that drew me into each and every person's life. Everyone given a point of view in this book (and there were a good handful) I could follow and be intrigued by. I usually have trouble, if there are more than two or three "main" characters, differentiating between them and get confused. Not so, here.

Another big part...more And I don't take the title of this review lightly.

It took me less than a day to finish Jewel of Persia. I loved it. Absolutely adored it. I fell in love with the rich characterization that drew me into each and every person's life. Everyone given a point of view in this book (and there were a good handful) I could follow and be intrigued by. I usually have trouble, if there are more than two or three "main" characters, differentiating between them and get confused. Not so, here.

Another big part of the author's signature style that made the book for me was the HISTORY. Roseanna White has made me a Biblical times fan. And Persia? Like fine dark chocolate to a lover of historical fiction. I've never read anything set during this era or location before that made me feel as if I was "there" so quickly, upon a first read. Such a creative look at a well-known Bible story!

I felt like Kasia became a really good friend. She was so spunky and fiery! The perfect beginning makes your heart flutter, it's so romantic how she comes to the palace, etc. And then to have the King fall head over scepter in love with her, and her with him? That was amazing and adorable and sweet. I was really worried, actually, that she would devote herself to him and he would remain detached, but that wasn't the way of it all {I'll stop now before I spoil things! Take my word, the romance is artful and intriguing.} Still, I feel like she remained true to who Xerxes was, what he was like as king {and without me ever once coming to hate him for it}.

This is my absolute favorite of the three books by Roseanna White I've read. There's still the historical detail and fascinating way of bringing an era alive that made both A Stray Drop of Blood and Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland come alive for me...with all the sizzle that I was surprised to find in A Stray Drop of Blood. {This book is a little more, hmmm, tactful about marriage, etc., which I appreciated. I adored A Stray Drop of Blood and didn't think it inappropriate (for older readers), but was completely okay with the "door closing" a little sooner on such scenes in Jewel of Persia.}

Roseanna White is definitely one of my favorite authors now. She's incredibly talented in flow, voice, and story. Did I mention it took me less than 24 hours to finish Jewel of Persia? And when I *had* to put it down, the characters invaded my thoughts! I argued with Kasia sometimes... =)

The vivid spiritual theme of this book is intricate and well-done. Not only does White bring to color true events and situations portrayed in a fascinating book of the Bible, she does so with poise and freshness. To my surprise, I could only predict what occurred in the last quarter or so of the book, and there only vaguely because I know the account of Esther. Yet none of the scenes felt forced. I appreciated that very much, as I almost dreaded getting to some well-known lines. White interpreted them extremely well, so that even at the very end, I was still whipping through pages. In fact, the way she enhanced the story without changing the account of what really went down in Susa was Brilliant.

All in all, this was a fascinating, delightful read that I'm thoroughly happy I picked up and absorbed. I think I'll be contemplating the events of Kasia and Xerxes's love story {as well as all the historical events that really happened and even the somber facts relayed in the afterword} for a while to come. This is a story that sticks with you and that you'll be glad you read.(less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Anitamaedraper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, biblical, inspirational, romance, tomboy, king-hero, concubine-heroine

This extraordinary book gives a fresh look at the politics between the wives and concubines at the highest level of a harem. Until I read Jewel of Persia, I never considered how things would work if the king loved one wife more than another. And I never considered what it would be like to be one of many wives if you truly loved the king as a man. How it would feel if you knew he continued to sleep with his other wives. That’s what I liked about this book… it gets right down to the core emotions...more This extraordinary book gives a fresh look at the politics between the wives and concubines at the highest level of a harem. Until I read Jewel of Persia, I never considered how things would work if the king loved one wife more than another. And I never considered what it would be like to be one of many wives if you truly loved the king as a man. How it would feel if you knew he continued to sleep with his other wives. That’s what I liked about this book… it gets right down to the core emotions as well as the social interactions involved.

The story centers around Kasia (ka-SEE-uh), the oldest daughter in a large Jewish family with not much money, but lots of love. One day she makes the mistake of speaking to a wealthy Persian and soon finds herself a concubine in the King of Persia’s harem. Her shamed parents tell her siblings and her friend, the young Esther that Kasia was swept down the river and with that lie, Kasia is cut away from the family she loves and begins her influential climb into the very heart of Xerxes (ZIRK-seez).

If you think this is just another story of Queen Esther’s life, think again, for the actual Biblical tale is only a very small portion of this book. I’ve read many books that marry Biblical truth with fictional characters, but none came close to the heart wrenching storylines in the Jewel of Persia. Using several point-of-views, we discover who is really telling the truth and who just seems to be. Who is willing to die for the king and who’d rather see him dead. Who is acting out of love and whose act of love is a screen for more sinister purposes.

Jewel of Persia is about good versus evil and light against darkness. Steadfast Kasia feels herself surrounded by God's presence as a light shining through the murky veil of evil. It's very effective in showing those who believe in God as the omnipotent Creator who loves and cares for them and those who put their faith in the god of darkness, Ahura Mazda.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was the first book I read from this author and although I received it as a gift for review purposes, any books by Roseanna M. White in this genre will now go on my auto-buy list.

(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Pegg rated it 4 of 5 stars

I stayed up reading way too late last night to finish this book. Wow! What a wonderful job of storytelling. It started a little slow, but picked up steam and never looked back. Roseanna White did a masterful job of weaving fact and fiction into a believable, engaging tale that was too good to put down. I started recommending it to others when I was less than half was into it!

This is the story of Queen Esther's fictional best friend, Kasia. Through her eyes we experience the royal court of Xerxes...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are dozens of books on the market today telling the biblical story of Esther…but none have told it like Roseanna White! Wow. I was enraptured in Kasia’s story! Bringing a fresh and un-explored angle to this amazing story, she not only presents a story never heard before, she shares amazing historical details about the years of King Xerxes reign over Persia.

While Jewel of Persia does tell the story of Esther; she is, uniquely, only a secondary character. Taking center-stage is Xerxex, king...more There are dozens of books on the market today telling the biblical story of Esther…but none have told it like Roseanna White! Wow. I was enraptured in Kasia’s story! Bringing a fresh and un-explored angle to this amazing story, she not only presents a story never heard before, she shares amazing historical details about the years of King Xerxes reign over Persia.

While Jewel of Persia does tell the story of Esther; she is, uniquely, only a secondary character. Taking center-stage is Xerxex, king of Persia, and a young Jewish woman, Kasia, who caught his eye and stole his heart. Right away I liked Kasia. What a perfect example for Christ she is to everyone in the Palace. Amazing, I grew to like the king as well. While he is historically known for his bloody rule, Roseanna presents him not as a blood-thirsty barbarian without a heart, but a faulty man who made mistakes and found comfort in the arms of his Jewish wife. Esther was very sweet and gentle and I really enjoyed getting to know her through the course of the book. Her connection to Kasia was neat. Zachariah was one of my favorite characters, maybe even next to Xerxes! He made mistakes—a big one—which had consequences, but he learned from them. I loved watching him grow, mature, and change through the book.

It’s a story about a Jewish woman, one of many wives to a powerful king, so there is some content warning. Xerxes and Kasia often exchange kisses or sleep together and Xerxes takes turn with his other wives, but this is kept as clean as I’ve ever seen in books before. There’s also one character who, though never spoken outright, the reader comes to realize is a homosexual. Two different couples have an affair, but nothing is ever explained in great detail. I’d still recommend this for mature readers, but I was amazingly pleased at how clean this book was.

As I’ve mentioned many times, the plot was awesome. Completely unique and like nothing I’ve ever read before, Roseanna brings an amazing love story that will leave you amazed and wanting more. Her writing is just as wonderful as her plot. Right away it pulls you into the story and I felt like I was right there alongside Kasia in Persia. All the characters seemed so believable and fleshed-out, I felt like I knew them by the end of the book. Absolutely wonderful!

What else can I say to convince you…this is an amazing book! I love history, and that, coupled with the amazing story with Kasia and Xerxes, completely endeared this book to me. I won’t ever think of the story of Esther the same way again! Roseanna continues to amaze me and I look forward to reading many more of her books in the future. (less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Normandie Fischer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

While I don't often read biblical fiction, I picked up this and A Stray Drop of Blood before my agent submitted one of my stories to WhiteFire Publishing--after all, if I were going to be involved with a publisher, I wanted to determine the quality of their releases. I wasn't disappointed.

Roseanna White takes risks in these two books, and those risks raise the works above the norm for the genre. Her biblical fiction isn't sweet. It's raw and real, full of history and drama and personalities tha...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Bobbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jewel of Persia enhances the story of Esther, while including all the details of the biblical account. Kasia, a friend of Esther, falls in love with Xerxes. The many characters enthrall the reader because of each of their traits. Xerxes is tender and loving, yet shows cruelty and a vicious temper.
The story, descriptions of scenery are beautifully written and the biblical characters are larger than life.

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Apr 07, 2012 Melissa Travis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant author! She seamlessly wove together the biblical account of Esther with the Histories of Herodotus to create a fascinating story of faith, love, intrigue, and allegiance to family set in ancient Persia. The story contains a strong element of spiritual warfare throughout, which I thought was essential to the plot. I will definitely read more of Ms. White's work.

P.S. You MUST read the Author's Note at the end!!

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Apr 09, 2012 Re rated it 5 of 5 stars

First time I have read a book from Roseanna White. I loved it! I love Christian fiction books. Quite a love story with Kasia and Xerxes. I enjoyed the historical, and also the fiction she added fit into the book nicely. I liked that she told you in the beginning which characters were fictional and what was historical.
Mrs. Roseanna White is quite a writer,right up there with my favorite, Mark of the Lion Series, by Francine Rivers.
I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys Christian Fictio...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good book, easy read. This tells the Biblical story of Esther from the point of view of another harem girl, Xerxes' fictional "favorite wife," Kasia. Lots of interesting historical details, and the character stuff-how to share a husband with other women, how to maintain your faith in adversity-feels very authentic.

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Feb 08, 2013 Luci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable. Couldn't put it down. Reminded me of Lynn Austin's "Gods and Kings", but I think I might actually like this a little better. My only tiny complaint is that I wanted more at the end - more details, more build up, etc. like the rest of the story. But, it's hard to complain too much when it was so engaging.

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Jan 24, 2013 Toni Adams rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, i have read it about 4 times. I love the main character Kasia and how she grew in the book. I love Xerxes love for her and even though he was stubborn and a total man whore (kidding, although he had tons of wives, i know that was normal then) I liked how he was with her.

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Dec 08, 2012 Lara rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this entirely different take on the story of Esther. I loved getting to know the characters and appreciated White's writing style. I loved that it is a love story first and foremost and was so grateful that the romance was written so tastefully.

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May 22, 2012 ElenTikvah (Lea Coville) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction

My expectation was the story of Esther, but Jewel of Persia is so much more! This was an intriquing mixture of the biblical story and the history of Persia. It was wonderful to see a totally different perspective on the story of Esther.

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Nov 12, 2012 Timber rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's rare to find a book that is both historically and Biblically accurate. This one was both, and a great story as well. I'll definitely read more by Roseanna White!

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Aug 15, 2011 Jacqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved this book. Nice biblical fiction story set on the backdrop of the Book of Esther in the Bible. It has War, Love, Faith, and Family. A really great book and the writing was beautiful too!

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Jun 11, 2012 Lisa S. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this one too! Not as much as I love Afshar's books (I'm sorry, but hers were just so good) but still really good and will read another one by this author for sure!!

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Mar 29, 2013 Tiffany Arrant rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved how accurate this stayed to Esther yet gave you some fictional characters to fall in love with.

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Jun 16, 2012 Lesslie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved! Roseanna White (author) is the closest author I've found to my favorite author, Francine Rivers.

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Apr 27, 2013 TC Spellen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jewel of Persia is an amazing story saturated with the right amount of romance, biblical history, betrayal, intrigue...all of the yummy trimmings that give life to a book and its characters. It was difficult to stop reading at night to go to bed. The next day couldn't come fast enough to continue reading; it's an excellent read.

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About Roseanna White

Roseanna M. White is a wife, mommy, writer, reviewer, and lover of all things literature-related. She is the author of A STRAY DROP OF BLOOD and JEWEL OF PERSIA and runs the Christian Review of Books from her home in Western Maryland. She is a member of ACFW, HisWriters, and HEWN Marketing."

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