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Medina #2
Aisha y Alí
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336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 15, 2009
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About the author
Sherry Jones
16 books438 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Sherry Jones is an American journalist and internationally best selling author of the controversial "The Jewel of Medina" and other historical fiction books.
Her forthcoming novel, THE FIVE WIVES OF BILLY TIPTON, explores the true-life story of transgender musician Billy Tipton and his marriages with five women, the last three of whom never knew that he was biologically female. Filled with Tipton's comic, homespun wit as well as the vibrant personalities of the colorful women he loved, THE FIVE WIVES OF BILLY TIPTON will take readers on a musical journey through the American midwest of the 1930s and 40s as well as the inner journey of a woman who lives for fifty year in disguise. In a world in which we all must play assigned roles, what must we do to live authentically. Is the price too high?
Jones's most recent novel, JOSEPHINE BAKER'S LAST DANCE (December 2018) features as its protagonist the 20th-century African-American entertainer Josephine Baker, who was born in the slums of St. Louis, made her fame on the Paris stage at 19, worked as a spy during WWII, and became an important civil rights activist in the United States. A comedian, nude dancer, chanteuse, opera diva, and film star, she was the highest-paid black performer in the world. The actress Paula Patton has optioned the media rights to this book and, in partnership with Viola Davis's JuVee production company, is seeking a studio to bring this book to the screen. JOSEPHINE BAKER'S LAST DANCE is scheduled for publication in Hungary.
Jones's 2014 novel, THE SHARP HOOK OF LOVE, tells of the forbidden, erotically-charged love affair between two of the Middle Ages' greatest intellectuals: Peter Abelard, headmaster of the Notre-Dame Cloister School and a poet whose good looks and love songs make women swoon; and Heloise d'Argenteuil, a beautiful woman scholar being groomed by her uncle to become an abbess.
Jones's other books are:
"White Heart," an e-novella about Blanche de Castille, the legendary White Queen of France, who braved sieges, scandal and heartache to protect the Crown from usurpers for her young son, King Louis IX (Saint Louis). The novella is a prequel to:
"Four Sisters, All Queens," about four sisters in 13th century Provence -- Margeurite, Eléonore, Sanchia, and Beatrice of Provence, who became queens of France, England, Germany, and Italy, also published in Serbia, Italy, and Poland.
Jones became the center of a national controversy in the summer of 2008 after Random House cancelled publication of her historical novel, The Jewel of Medina about Aisha, a wife of the Prophet Muhammad.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Random House had paid Jones a $100,000 advance for the novel when University of Texas Professor Denise Spellberg say a copy of the galleys and decided to "warn Muslims" of the pending publication of a novel that, in Spellberg's opinion, "made fun of Muslims and their history." Random House immediately cancelled publication.
Beaufort Books published the book in the U.S. in October 2008. Publishers in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Poland, Serbia, Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Greece, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Albania have followed. It has been a best-seller in Serbia, Croatia, Albania, Kosovo, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain.
A sequel, "The Sword of Medina," continues the story of A'isha's life after Muhammad's death and the rivalry with his cousin, Ali, which led to the first Islamic civil war and the Sunni-Shia split. It has been published in a number of countries, as well, and was also a best-seller in Serbia. "The Sword of Medina" was awarded a silver medal in the IPPYs, the Independent Publisher Association's book of the year awards.
The controversy over her books has sent Jones on the lecture circuit, speaking in the U.S. and Europe on topics including
Sherry Jones is an American journalist and internationally best selling author of the controversial "The Jewel of Medina" and other historical fiction books.
Her forthcoming novel, THE FIVE WIVES OF BILLY TIPTON, explores the true-life story of transgender musician Billy Tipton and his marriages with five women, the last three of whom never knew that he was biologically female. Filled with Tipton's comic, homespun wit as well as the vibrant personalities of the colorful women he loved, THE FIVE WIVES OF BILLY TIPTON will take readers on a musical journey through the American midwest of the 1930s and 40s as well as the inner journey of a woman who lives for fifty year in disguise. In a world in which we all must play assigned roles, what must we do to live authentically. Is the price too high?
Jones's most recent novel, JOSEPHINE BAKER'S LAST DANCE (December 2018) features as its protagonist the 20th-century African-American entertainer Josephine Baker, who was born in the slums of St. Louis, made her fame on the Paris stage at 19, worked as a spy during WWII, and became an important civil rights activist in the United States. A comedian, nude dancer, chanteuse, opera diva, and film star, she was the highest-paid black performer in the world. The actress Paula Patton has optioned the media rights to this book and, in partnership with Viola Davis's JuVee production company, is seeking a studio to bring this book to the screen. JOSEPHINE BAKER'S LAST DANCE is scheduled for publication in Hungary.
Jones's 2014 novel, THE SHARP HOOK OF LOVE, tells of the forbidden, erotically-charged love affair between two of the Middle Ages' greatest intellectuals: Peter Abelard, headmaster of the Notre-Dame Cloister School and a poet whose good looks and love songs make women swoon; and Heloise d'Argenteuil, a beautiful woman scholar being groomed by her uncle to become an abbess.
Jones's other books are:
"White Heart," an e-novella about Blanche de Castille, the legendary White Queen of France, who braved sieges, scandal and heartache to protect the Crown from usurpers for her young son, King Louis IX (Saint Louis). The novella is a prequel to:
"Four Sisters, All Queens," about four sisters in 13th century Provence -- Margeurite, Eléonore, Sanchia, and Beatrice of Provence, who became queens of France, England, Germany, and Italy, also published in Serbia, Italy, and Poland.
Jones became the center of a national controversy in the summer of 2008 after Random House cancelled publication of her historical novel, The Jewel of Medina about Aisha, a wife of the Prophet Muhammad.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Random House had paid Jones a $100,000 advance for the novel when University of Texas Professor Denise Spellberg say a copy of the galleys and decided to "warn Muslims" of the pending publication of a novel that, in Spellberg's opinion, "made fun of Muslims and their history." Random House immediately cancelled publication.
Beaufort Books published the book in the U.S. in October 2008. Publishers in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Poland, Serbia, Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Greece, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Albania have followed. It has been a best-seller in Serbia, Croatia, Albania, Kosovo, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain.
A sequel, "The Sword of Medina," continues the story of A'isha's life after Muhammad's death and the rivalry with his cousin, Ali, which led to the first Islamic civil war and the Sunni-Shia split. It has been published in a number of countries, as well, and was also a best-seller in Serbia. "The Sword of Medina" was awarded a silver medal in the IPPYs, the Independent Publisher Association's book of the year awards.
The controversy over her books has sent Jones on the lecture circuit, speaking in the U.S. and Europe on topics including
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 27, 2013
I read Jewel of Medina a couple of years ago and just recently decided to purchase this book. Honestly, I expected this book to be horrible. I was right. Jones intends to honor the memory of Aisha, Ali, and the others presented in this book. However, it doesn't workout. Aisha comes off as a b****y girl at some points. Even worse, she portrays Ali as some guy eager for money and power. This man, in reality, did not care for such trivial things. It was painful to see him portrayed in the likeness of an enemy, when he was the right-hand man of the prophet. He buried him, not to spite Abu Bakr, as she says, but because he cared more about giving the prophet a proper burial than claiming the khalifate. He's not a bully to Aisha or anyone. Sherry Jones further twists history when she makes the cause of Fatima's death some medina fever. In reality, she died at the hands of Umar, Abu Bakr's right-hand man and she miscarried as a result. This book should be classified as straight fiction rather than historical fiction. The story of Aisha is not some romancy chick-flick. It is disrespectful to portray her as some lovey, childish girl.
April 5, 2010
This book was pretty awful! WASP lady writes historical fiction about Islam after Muhammad's death. Badly written, and every character was an unlikable idiot. I think I spent a good half of the book rolling my eyes.
April 24, 2019
SINOPSIS:
Antes de morir, Mahoma le entrega a su esposa Aisha la espada de Medina, aconsejándole que en el futuro haga buen uso de ella en la lucha santa. Desolada por la muerte de su esposo, Aisha sufre también a causa de la nueva situación de su pueblo.
Al mismo tiempo, Alí, el único heredero de Mahoma, teme que de no llevar a cabo ninguna acción los corruptos consejeros del Profeta ponga en peligro la supervivencia del Islam. Otros le urgen a hacerse con el poder y guiar al pueblo musulmán tal como Mahoma lo había deseado.
Opinión:
Nos narra los principios de la fundación del Islam, nos narra sus bases y la lucha que se entabla por el poder a la muerte de Mahoma. Por un lado estaría Alí y Aisha (la última esposa de Mahoma) que si bien su relación personal siempre fue de desconfianza mutua, recelo, odio y cierta admiración; tratan de luchar por que se conserven los principios más justos, solidarios y espirituales del Islam, mientras los demás aspirantes a califa buscan más sus intereses personales.
Cabe destacar esos valores primarios que cualquier persona necesitada de religión podría compartir por ser justos y nobles; es importante el papel de Aisha como "Madre de los creyentes" teniendo bastante importancia su papel como mujer y en general el de las mujeres en ese nacimiento del Islam (hay que ponerse en contexto con la época).
La lectura para mi no resultó fácil aunque solo sea hasta que te haces con las decenas de nombres en lengua árabe; y quizás llega a ser cansina tanta intriga y ambición.
Antes de morir, Mahoma le entrega a su esposa Aisha la espada de Medina, aconsejándole que en el futuro haga buen uso de ella en la lucha santa. Desolada por la muerte de su esposo, Aisha sufre también a causa de la nueva situación de su pueblo.
Al mismo tiempo, Alí, el único heredero de Mahoma, teme que de no llevar a cabo ninguna acción los corruptos consejeros del Profeta ponga en peligro la supervivencia del Islam. Otros le urgen a hacerse con el poder y guiar al pueblo musulmán tal como Mahoma lo había deseado.
Opinión:
Nos narra los principios de la fundación del Islam, nos narra sus bases y la lucha que se entabla por el poder a la muerte de Mahoma. Por un lado estaría Alí y Aisha (la última esposa de Mahoma) que si bien su relación personal siempre fue de desconfianza mutua, recelo, odio y cierta admiración; tratan de luchar por que se conserven los principios más justos, solidarios y espirituales del Islam, mientras los demás aspirantes a califa buscan más sus intereses personales.
Cabe destacar esos valores primarios que cualquier persona necesitada de religión podría compartir por ser justos y nobles; es importante el papel de Aisha como "Madre de los creyentes" teniendo bastante importancia su papel como mujer y en general el de las mujeres en ese nacimiento del Islam (hay que ponerse en contexto con la época).
La lectura para mi no resultó fácil aunque solo sea hasta que te haces con las decenas de nombres en lengua árabe; y quizás llega a ser cansina tanta intriga y ambición.
May 3, 2010
Picking up where her first book, The Jewel of Medina, left off, Sherry Jones invites us back into the life of A'isha bint Abi Bakar, the prophet Muhammad's favorite wife and child bride. Following Muhammad's death from the Medina fever, his followers are left bereft. When A'isha's father Abu Bakar steps into the role of Khalifa (spiritual leader of the Muslims), things are far from peaceful because various factions are not satisfied with this solution. Unhappiness and rumors rage throughout the camp, leaving A'isha caught in the middle. The unrest grows when tragedy befalls her father, for there are many wishing to replace him. One of the hopefuls is A'isha's hated nemesis, Ali, who was once a close companion to Muhammad. A'isha will do almost anything to keep the position out of Ali's hands, though she soon comes to find that the others jockeying for position are no more palatable. As various men try their hands at being Khalifa, rage erupts in the camp and it is up to A'isha and Ali to prevent their struggling religion from being destroyed by war, greed, and nepotism. Both intricate and timely, The Sword of Medina painstakingly exposes this most pressing and engulfing time in history.
Just over a year ago, I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing Sherry Jones provocative and thoughtful historical novel, The Jewel of Medina. Though I mostly enjoyed the book, I harbored questions as to the legitimacy of the prophet Muhammad's intense love of women. Sherry, eager to share her collected information regarding this subject, wrote me a beautiful post addressing my question and helped me to more fully understand Muhammad's interest in the fairer sex. I was both surprised and honored to hear from her again a few months ago when she asked me if I would like the opportunity to read and review her next work in the series, The Sword of Medina. I accepted eagerly because I was very interested in finding out what had transpired with A'isha after Muhammad's unexpected death, and I was pleased to become enmeshed in the continuing saga of A'isha Bint Bakar.
First of all, I felt that Sherry did a magnificent job of highlighting the political and religious turmoil that raged throughout Muhammad's encampment after his death. There were a lot of very unhappy people plotting and scheming during that time, and the author did a great job of canvasing the many groups who had their own ideas about the future of Islam. The tension that she created throughout these sections was palpable and it was clear to me why A'isha was so troubled by the direction that Muhammad's legacy had taken. A lot of A'isha's time and energy went towards smoothing the ruffled feathers of the people and trying to stay one step ahead of the roiling mass of unhappiness that was spreading over the camp. I felt that A'isha was torn between the desire to keep her people happy and her overwhelming urge to prevent Muhammad's wishes for his people to be tainted.
I also thought that the relationship between A'isha and Ali was written with precision and believability. Ali harbored much anger and resentment towards A'isha, just as she did for him, but there were moments when the ideals and beliefs of the two were very similar, which highlighted the contradiction between their feelings and their beliefs. Towards the conclusion of the book, A'isha's eyes are opened in regards to Ali and she is able to see that his wishes are not so alien from her own, a fact that does much to quell her fear for the uncertain path of Islam. I liked the scenes between these two characters because I felt that both characters were able to admire each other privately while still being headstrong and clashing every time they interacted, which gave a profound depth to their relationship.
In the first book, much of the action centered around Muhammad's wives and their struggles amongst themselves for peace. This book was much more focused on the path that Islam took after the death of its founder. There was much political intrigue in this second book, which I appreciated because it gave me a frame of reference and an insider's peek into the problems that plagued a religion without a strong leader. There were some very developed battle scenes in the book as well, which served to highlight the Muslim's quest for acceptance and honor among tribes of non-believers. The crux of the battle towards the conclusion of the book sharply delineated the power struggle between A'isha and Ali, and was, I felt, a very moving conflict between the two.
The only small quibble I had with the book was the abundance of characters that jostled for space among the story. There was a very large cast of characters, which I felt was a little overwhelming at times, but I really don't see how any of the players could have been excised from the story without creating a gaping hole in the narrative. At times it was a little confusing to keep all the players straight, but as I became more in tune with the story, it got a bit easier for me to sort things out.
This was a very satisfying conclusion to the story that I had read a year ago and I think Sherry created a very precise and detailed story that many readers have had little exposure to. If you enjoyed The Jewel of Medina I think that that this book would make a great read for you, though I might not advise picking up this tale without having read the first. I enjoyed this second book greatly and think that for those curious about the rise and spread of Islam, these books would make enlightening reading.
Just over a year ago, I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing Sherry Jones provocative and thoughtful historical novel, The Jewel of Medina. Though I mostly enjoyed the book, I harbored questions as to the legitimacy of the prophet Muhammad's intense love of women. Sherry, eager to share her collected information regarding this subject, wrote me a beautiful post addressing my question and helped me to more fully understand Muhammad's interest in the fairer sex. I was both surprised and honored to hear from her again a few months ago when she asked me if I would like the opportunity to read and review her next work in the series, The Sword of Medina. I accepted eagerly because I was very interested in finding out what had transpired with A'isha after Muhammad's unexpected death, and I was pleased to become enmeshed in the continuing saga of A'isha Bint Bakar.
First of all, I felt that Sherry did a magnificent job of highlighting the political and religious turmoil that raged throughout Muhammad's encampment after his death. There were a lot of very unhappy people plotting and scheming during that time, and the author did a great job of canvasing the many groups who had their own ideas about the future of Islam. The tension that she created throughout these sections was palpable and it was clear to me why A'isha was so troubled by the direction that Muhammad's legacy had taken. A lot of A'isha's time and energy went towards smoothing the ruffled feathers of the people and trying to stay one step ahead of the roiling mass of unhappiness that was spreading over the camp. I felt that A'isha was torn between the desire to keep her people happy and her overwhelming urge to prevent Muhammad's wishes for his people to be tainted.
I also thought that the relationship between A'isha and Ali was written with precision and believability. Ali harbored much anger and resentment towards A'isha, just as she did for him, but there were moments when the ideals and beliefs of the two were very similar, which highlighted the contradiction between their feelings and their beliefs. Towards the conclusion of the book, A'isha's eyes are opened in regards to Ali and she is able to see that his wishes are not so alien from her own, a fact that does much to quell her fear for the uncertain path of Islam. I liked the scenes between these two characters because I felt that both characters were able to admire each other privately while still being headstrong and clashing every time they interacted, which gave a profound depth to their relationship.
In the first book, much of the action centered around Muhammad's wives and their struggles amongst themselves for peace. This book was much more focused on the path that Islam took after the death of its founder. There was much political intrigue in this second book, which I appreciated because it gave me a frame of reference and an insider's peek into the problems that plagued a religion without a strong leader. There were some very developed battle scenes in the book as well, which served to highlight the Muslim's quest for acceptance and honor among tribes of non-believers. The crux of the battle towards the conclusion of the book sharply delineated the power struggle between A'isha and Ali, and was, I felt, a very moving conflict between the two.
The only small quibble I had with the book was the abundance of characters that jostled for space among the story. There was a very large cast of characters, which I felt was a little overwhelming at times, but I really don't see how any of the players could have been excised from the story without creating a gaping hole in the narrative. At times it was a little confusing to keep all the players straight, but as I became more in tune with the story, it got a bit easier for me to sort things out.
This was a very satisfying conclusion to the story that I had read a year ago and I think Sherry created a very precise and detailed story that many readers have had little exposure to. If you enjoyed The Jewel of Medina I think that that this book would make a great read for you, though I might not advise picking up this tale without having read the first. I enjoyed this second book greatly and think that for those curious about the rise and spread of Islam, these books would make enlightening reading.
December 29, 2014
First of all I must thank Sherry Jones for introducing me to A'isha.
What a remarkable woman!
After finishing "The jewel of Medina" I've made a quick search on the web about her and found out many of the events on the first book actually happened, even those which didn't occur at exactly at the age the author portrays in the book (A'isha's age of course). That made me love the book even more. this is what reading should do to you, open your horizons and make you wish to know more on the subject.
The thing is after you know a little more your expectations rise.
This was what happened to me with "The sword of Medina". There are again true facts surrounded by fiction, but here I missed the relevance A'isha had on the second caliphate . During her father's caliphate it was expected, since she was family, but from what I have read on the web, she also had a role as political consultant to Umar, the second Caliph. As for the third caliph, Uthman, as portrayed in the book, she did not agreed with his politics which she view as going further away from Muhammad's teachings although she would later condemn his assassination( this is also portrayed in the book). Again, as in the book, this will lead to the "Battle of the camel" and A'isha's loss of the battle to Ali.
In the book A'isha retreats to a secluded life teaching the qu'ran, and again this is true, but I have also read that although she did that she continued to influence many who were involved in politics.
I can well see that.
Despite not having the same impact on me as "The jewel of Medina" I still enjoyed the characters and story very much. The only reason I gave it 4* and not 5 as I did to the first book is because I've missed these little things...
What a remarkable woman!
After finishing "The jewel of Medina" I've made a quick search on the web about her and found out many of the events on the first book actually happened, even those which didn't occur at exactly at the age the author portrays in the book (A'isha's age of course). That made me love the book even more. this is what reading should do to you, open your horizons and make you wish to know more on the subject.
The thing is after you know a little more your expectations rise.
This was what happened to me with "The sword of Medina". There are again true facts surrounded by fiction, but here I missed the relevance A'isha had on the second caliphate . During her father's caliphate it was expected, since she was family, but from what I have read on the web, she also had a role as political consultant to Umar, the second Caliph. As for the third caliph, Uthman, as portrayed in the book, she did not agreed with his politics which she view as going further away from Muhammad's teachings although she would later condemn his assassination( this is also portrayed in the book). Again, as in the book, this will lead to the "Battle of the camel" and A'isha's loss of the battle to Ali.
In the book A'isha retreats to a secluded life teaching the qu'ran, and again this is true, but I have also read that although she did that she continued to influence many who were involved in politics.
I can well see that.
Despite not having the same impact on me as "The jewel of Medina" I still enjoyed the characters and story very much. The only reason I gave it 4* and not 5 as I did to the first book is because I've missed these little things...
July 9, 2017
There is a lot to like about this book: it's pretty historically informed for a work of fiction, it includes a great deal of interesting details about both important and subsidiary characters and places, and the author struggles valiantly to present opposing viewpoints and perspectives fairly, going to great lengths to portray the inner workings of two life-long enemies and early proponents of Islam - A'isha and Ali - in a humane and comprehensible light. No mean feat, and the effort is not in vain.
Unfortunately, the author's breathless and overly-wordy style is not a good fit with the material she is trying to present. The tone is more reminiscent of Beverly Hills 90210 than the rise of Islam in seventh century Arabia. This is still worthwhile as a casual read, or as an accompaniment to a more serious historical account of the early leaders of Islam. If nothing else, the Teen Magazine tone serves as a constant reminder that this is a very accessible work of clever historical fiction, best enjoyed as light entertainment with a side of history.
Unfortunately, the author's breathless and overly-wordy style is not a good fit with the material she is trying to present. The tone is more reminiscent of Beverly Hills 90210 than the rise of Islam in seventh century Arabia. This is still worthwhile as a casual read, or as an accompaniment to a more serious historical account of the early leaders of Islam. If nothing else, the Teen Magazine tone serves as a constant reminder that this is a very accessible work of clever historical fiction, best enjoyed as light entertainment with a side of history.
December 30, 2009
I just finished the Sword of Medina - it was compelling, entertaining and a fun way to increase my knowledge of Islam. The fast paced presentation of Aisha and Ali`s personalities and intentions gave me an intimate insight into two of history's most influential people. The Sword of Medina is well written and intelligent, combining playfulness with painful human decisions. I identified with Aisha and Ali's struggles to assume both competing and complementary positions of power amid the intrigue of trust, deceit and misunderstanding that caused the Battle of the Camel -Islam's historic civil war. Again historical fiction is more fascinating than purely imagination based literature
February 6, 2019
Read Jewel of Medina and was hoping the author improved after her first book. She did not.
July 24, 2025
This is book 2 of 2 of Sherry Jones's controversial novels about Aisha, Islam's prophet Muhammad's child-bride. As someone well-grounded in Islamic history and teachings, both books profoundly irritated me, and not because of any offense.returnreturnPoetic license with history is one thing, sloppy inconsistencies in transliterations is another. For example, one character is sometimes called Abdallah, other times Abdullah, other times Abd Allah. Where was this author's editor and/or proofreader?returnreturnEven the author's instances of genuine poetic license, including and especially calling God "Al-Lah" instead of "Allah", seemed like unnecessarily jarring choices to me. It serves no purpose that I can discern.returnreturnIn short, I came to the books eager for the scandal (modern and ancient) and ended up mostly annoyed. The only reason I'm not giving this the lowest rating is that it's one of the few fictionalized works about Islamic history. It succeeds somewhat in both humanizing Muhammad's closest companions and also illuminating people on the unsavory civil-war-related aspects of early Islam, knowledge about which is often deliberately withheld from Muslims.
September 29, 2019
FINALMENTE TERMINÉ
¿PORQUÉ ESTE NÚMERO DE ESTRELLAS? Debo confesar que este es uno de los libros que me costó demasiado terminar, la mayoría de las escenas de este libro me llegaban a aburrir, pero unas cuantas lograron gustarme y el final ni se diga...no diré más, por ellon sólo 3 estrellitas.
¿QUE ME GUSTÓ? Que muestran muchos detalles sobre la historia y la cultura de los musulmanes y como era antes el poder de un califa y lo que para para obtener el califato.
¿PERSONAJE FAVORITO? la verdad , amé a Aisha se volvió mi heroína según era muy berrinchuda e inmadura, pero para mi no lo fue para nada.
¿QUÉ NO ME GUSTÓ? no me gustó que la lectura mostrara una historia demasiada lenta que enserio ganaba mi aburrimiento y me costó demasiado continuar.
¿LO VOLVERÍA A LEER? mmm... lo dudo, y si lo vuelvo a leer será en un futuro muy lejano.
¿LO RECOMIENDAS? Sí lo recomiendo pero es un poco más para personas mas maduras que se centran en la parte histórica, así que si gustan de este tipo de género histórico y político se recomienda.
¿PORQUÉ ESTE NÚMERO DE ESTRELLAS? Debo confesar que este es uno de los libros que me costó demasiado terminar, la mayoría de las escenas de este libro me llegaban a aburrir, pero unas cuantas lograron gustarme y el final ni se diga...no diré más, por ellon sólo 3 estrellitas.
¿QUE ME GUSTÓ? Que muestran muchos detalles sobre la historia y la cultura de los musulmanes y como era antes el poder de un califa y lo que para para obtener el califato.
¿PERSONAJE FAVORITO? la verdad , amé a Aisha se volvió mi heroína según era muy berrinchuda e inmadura, pero para mi no lo fue para nada.
¿QUÉ NO ME GUSTÓ? no me gustó que la lectura mostrara una historia demasiada lenta que enserio ganaba mi aburrimiento y me costó demasiado continuar.
¿LO VOLVERÍA A LEER? mmm... lo dudo, y si lo vuelvo a leer será en un futuro muy lejano.
¿LO RECOMIENDAS? Sí lo recomiendo pero es un poco más para personas mas maduras que se centran en la parte histórica, así que si gustan de este tipo de género histórico y político se recomienda.
July 29, 2024
Fikcija koja se zasniva na historijskim ličnostima i događajima nosi odgovornost da barem okvirno zadrži vjerodostojnost. "Mač Medine" ne uspijeva u ovom zadatku, što može dovesti do pogrešnog shvatanja historije kod čitalaca, kao i samog viđenja islama.
September 16, 2019
Es uno de esos libros que me gustan porque me entretienen y aprendo algo de historia y de la cultura de otros lugares.
October 9, 2020
много хтела... ништа посебно...
January 3, 2022
Una maravilla!
January 20, 2010
This is not my typical Historical Fiction novel that I would have picked up while wandering a bookstore. Therefore I'm glad this book was given to me to read. The story was narrated by A'isha and Ali, switching perspectives each chapter. It followed the reign of the first four "Rightly Guided" caliphs. The characters were in depth and it was interesting to see them change and adapt as events occurred throughout the book. The beginning caught my attention right away but around the middle of the book it began to loose my attention. I kept reading though and was rewarded with a good ending. I wont spoil it for you, but the end was touching and left you at peace after reading about all the bloodshed. The only thing that I disliked was the brutality to women (unfortunately it is accurate) and I did not feel that there was a lot of description of the scenery. Overall this was a good book, and I am glad I was able to read it. I always enjoy reading about time periods which I know little about, and I feel that I have closed this book with more knowledge then when I started...that's always a good thing.
January 13, 2013
A'isha bint Abi Bakr was the most-favored wife of Muhammad--the founder of Islam. The author has woven a story of a girl who is betrothed and married at a very young age to an older man. We see the girl struggling to find her place among the other (older) wives while battling pangs of jealousy with the marriage of each new wife. Marriages were done for political reasons--to increase a family's status and wealth--not just to provide children. Polygamy was accepted and promoted. Women were denied independent lives outside of marriage and motherhood.
When he dies of a fever, she is entrusted with his sword and told to save it for the coming jihad ("struggle") that is coming to her people. The new religion is nearly destroyed as competing factions struggle for political dominance. But it is A'isha who stands firm in her faith and guides her people through their struggle to preserve and grow Islam.
When he dies of a fever, she is entrusted with his sword and told to save it for the coming jihad ("struggle") that is coming to her people. The new religion is nearly destroyed as competing factions struggle for political dominance. But it is A'isha who stands firm in her faith and guides her people through their struggle to preserve and grow Islam.
December 26, 2009
This is more than a follow-up to her (unfairly) controversial first book, The Jewel of Medina, even though it begins where that one ended. It is told both from the perspective of A'isha and Ali during the reign of the first four "Righly Guided" caliphs.
The characters are deeply drawn, and their motives are three dimensional, as well. The historical story of the beginning of Islam and its schism is not well known in the West, and this book is an excellent, detail filled, imagining of the times.
It rightly received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, which I would recommend. I won't give it away, but the ending was touching and transcended the issues the characters faced without being sentimental.
The characters are deeply drawn, and their motives are three dimensional, as well. The historical story of the beginning of Islam and its schism is not well known in the West, and this book is an excellent, detail filled, imagining of the times.
It rightly received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, which I would recommend. I won't give it away, but the ending was touching and transcended the issues the characters faced without being sentimental.
April 9, 2016
It hurts, it really does, to give this book a 2 star rating, especially because I loved its predecessor " The Jewel of Medina" so much. But A'isha becomes extremely unlikeable after the Prophet's death to the very point that I wanted to hurl the book at the wall. Sometimes a sequel shouldn't happen.
July 4, 2010
Considering the position of women in many of today's Muslim nations, it's difficult to imagine A'isha, the young woman and widow of the prophet, having so much influence and such a strong voice. However, the historical references are enlightening and the story held me.
April 16, 2016
mnogo pitkije stivo. od Dragulja Medine, mozda zato sto sam usla u tematiku i upoznala likove, prica prati Ajsu kroz period vladavine cetiri halife...
June 25, 2016
Interesante conocer sobre la historia del islam.
October 23, 2016
Besides the truly ridiculous plot twist of romantic stirrings between Ali and Aisha, it was a tolerable read.
May 23, 2011
I liked this book better than the first one.
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