Pearl Maiden: A Tale on the Fall of Jerusalem

This is a book that perfectly depicts the mixed emotions an struggles of those forced to live through all of the fall of Jerusalem. Over all it's great!

I have set myself to reading all of the H. Rider Haggard novels, and my library had a 1903 (!) edition of this book. Geez, it is AWESOME! I love early Christianity books like _Ben Hur_ and _Quo Vadis_; this book is up in their league. That having been said, _Pearl Maiden_ spends very little time trying to assure the reader that Christianity is the best way, the only way, and that every other culture and faith that has come before it is misguided at best and infernal at worst. That's one of the things I really admire about Haggard, the more so as I read more of his books: for a man of his time, he is remarkably open-minded. So, what's the book about? The twisting, turning plot follows the adventures of Miriam (the "Pearl Maiden" of the book's title), an orphan whose Christian mother puts the baby into the care of a loyal servant woman. Miriam grows up in an adoring colony of Essenes, who educate her and teach her a trade (sculpting) but who, because of the dictates of their order, must send her forth into the world. She goes to live with her grandfather, a powerful Jewish merchant who hates the Roman rule and takes part in the defense of Jerusalem from Titus' forces. Miriam, whose grandfather has allowed her to retain her Christian faith, finds herself in a conflict, for she has fallen in love with Marcus, a Roman officer. To further complicate the plot, she has been raised with Caleb, a young Jewish boy, who loves her and no other. Well, I won't divulge any more of the the plot; you will want to savour it for yourself. It's a nice, fat book (my edition is over 500 pages), that will satisfy anyone who enjoys an action-packed historical yarn. I was up until one this morning finishing it off.