Roseanna White's Jewel of Persia ~ Reviewed

Jewel of Persia
By Roseanna M. White
January 2011
WhiteFire Publishing
9780976544470

Review by Michelle Griep

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 the king of kings.

Traveling with Xerxes through Europe as he mounts a war against Greece, Kasia knows
enemies surround her. Not the Spartans or Athenians, but rather those close to the king who hate her people. Though danger lurks, she determines to put her trust in Jehovah—even if it costs her her marriage.

Years of prayers are answered when Kasia’s childhood friend arrives at the palace after the war, but even as she determines to see Esther crowned in place of the bloodthirsty former queen, she knows the true battle is far from over. How far will her enemies go to see her undone?

Combining the biblical account of Esther with Herodotus’s Histories, Jewel of Persia is the story of a love that nearly destroys an empire…and the friendship that saves a nation.

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 likable, and I can even sympathize with him a bit. I’m not saying he’s my hero for life, just that I’ve acquired a different opinion of him.

Heroine Kasia is definitely a woman of prayer. What a great role model. She prays about everything all the time. This is one character that’s worth emulating in real life.

If Biblical fiction is your passion, Jewel of Persia is a book you won’t want to miss.