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Within the Palace Gates
from the back cover:
"When, late one night in bed, I finished Within the Palace Gates, I could hardly wait until morning to open my Bible and read, with new understanding and excitment, the book of Nehemiah. Anna Siviter, by weaving the rich tapestry of the Persian court as a backdrop for the story of Artaxerxes's noble cup bearer, allows us to graps the deep significance of Nehemiah's devotion to God, to Jerusalem and to his people.
"It's a lovely story, hard to put down, but far beyond its lively plot, is its sacred focus. At the end, I stood right beside old Ezra, willing Israel to hear God's call and build a new nation committed to His will. And I heard it as a call to my own heart. You will too." -June Strong
"When, late one night in bed, I finished Within the Palace Gates, I could hardly wait until morning to open my Bible and read, with new understanding and excitment, the book of Nehemiah. Anna Siviter, by weaving the rich tapestry of the Persian court as a backdrop for the story of Artaxerxes's noble cup bearer, allows us to graps the deep significance of Nehemiah's devotion to God, to Jerusalem and to his people.
"It's a lovely story, hard to put down, but far beyond its lively plot, is its sacred focus. At the end, I stood right beside old Ezra, willing Israel to hear God's call and build a new nation committed to His will. And I heard it as a call to my own heart. You will too." -June Strong
308 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1901
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 23, 2019
Second time to read this with our history cycle in homeschooling. Such a wonderful adventure. The kids really get a feel for life in the Palace and how it's not so glamorous for everyone who is not the monarch!
Some Biblical liberties but holding true much more than others.
Written almost 100 years ago so quite a step up in vocabulary and sentence structure.
Some Biblical liberties but holding true much more than others.
Written almost 100 years ago so quite a step up in vocabulary and sentence structure.
September 9, 2018
I read this with my 11 and 12 y.o. As part of their history course. It gave an excellent insight to what the court of ancient Persia following the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of a Jerusalem. We all really enjoyed it.
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July 3, 2025Every so often I am struck anew by the memory of this book - particularly the storyline where a slave in the Persian court is recognized as a direct descendant of King David based on her blond hair and blue eyes?! Learning that this was published in 1932 is almost more concerning.
September 20, 2020
This book makes me want to read the nook of Nehemiah.
September 9, 2025
2025 review:
Some books stand the test of time, and for me, this is one of them. I remember Mom reading this book aloud to us when I was a pre-teen, and since then, I’ve reread it three times (at least, according to Goodreads’ record keeping!). It is my favorite Biblical fiction of all time, and I really don’t know now if I love it because of the story, because of my fond memories associated with the book, or if it’s because it’s really that good. I do know that it’s retained its 5-star status over multiple rereads, so that’s a definite positive!
This is an older story, first published in the 1930s. It’s written with an older storytelling style, so occasionally, I noticed it slipped into telling over showing; not a big deal to me, but if I were freshly coming to the story, I expect I might struggle with it more.
What I love about the book, though, is the way the author was able to tell Nehemiah’s story in a way that both made him relatable as a character and stayed true to the Biblical account. This book has inspired me to dig deeper into the book of Nehemiah in the Bible, and I love how Siviter pulled out little mentions to create a well-rounded story. I also love how she used the available archaeological evidence at the time to tell the story; that part fascinated me on this reread!
If you enjoy Biblical fiction with a strong emphasis on living out our faith, enjoy books with a dash of romance and adventure, or simply want to understand the book of Nehemiah better, I’d highly recommend you check this book out. It’s a gem!
2017 review:
Ahh...loved this book. Kind-of fun to read an old favorite again!
Some books stand the test of time, and for me, this is one of them. I remember Mom reading this book aloud to us when I was a pre-teen, and since then, I’ve reread it three times (at least, according to Goodreads’ record keeping!). It is my favorite Biblical fiction of all time, and I really don’t know now if I love it because of the story, because of my fond memories associated with the book, or if it’s because it’s really that good. I do know that it’s retained its 5-star status over multiple rereads, so that’s a definite positive!
This is an older story, first published in the 1930s. It’s written with an older storytelling style, so occasionally, I noticed it slipped into telling over showing; not a big deal to me, but if I were freshly coming to the story, I expect I might struggle with it more.
What I love about the book, though, is the way the author was able to tell Nehemiah’s story in a way that both made him relatable as a character and stayed true to the Biblical account. This book has inspired me to dig deeper into the book of Nehemiah in the Bible, and I love how Siviter pulled out little mentions to create a well-rounded story. I also love how she used the available archaeological evidence at the time to tell the story; that part fascinated me on this reread!
If you enjoy Biblical fiction with a strong emphasis on living out our faith, enjoy books with a dash of romance and adventure, or simply want to understand the book of Nehemiah better, I’d highly recommend you check this book out. It’s a gem!
2017 review:
Ahh...loved this book. Kind-of fun to read an old favorite again!
August 2, 2013
This book is incredibly rich - with colorful descriptions, a thrilling plot, various heroes and heroines that you will cheer for, some romance, a king who must not be displeased, his court, and some bad guys. The Biblical story of Nehemiah has never been the same for me. My dad read this book to us children before we could read it ourselves, and I've read it many times since!
September 17, 2012
Wonderful historical fiction and very engaging!
September 27, 2021
Someone jumps off a balcony!!!! and dresses as a boy and escapes and romance!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2016
I wasn't impressed, but then...I was ridiculously hard to please as a teenager.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews