14 h 59 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
As Roman armies close on Jerusalem, a young woman must hold to her faith—and risk a forbidden love.
In H. Rider Haggard’s Pearl-Maiden, Judea lives under Roman rule, and anger is rising. Jerusalem moves toward siege and ruin. Miriam, the young woman called the Pearl-Maiden, is devout and brave. In a city at war, she must find a way to survive without letting fear break her loyalty to what she believes.
Then her path crosses that of Marcus, a Roman whom many in Jerusalem see as an enemy. Their bond grows across divisions of nation, loyalty and belief. This historical romance brings adventure into the ancient world, where love carries danger and faith has a cost. The pressure comes from both the armies outside and the hard divides between people.
What you’ll discover
- A city near ruin Enter Jerusalem as Roman armies approach and anger against Roman rule rises.
- Miriam’s firm faith Follow a brave young woman who holds to belief when survival itself is uncertain.
- Love across enemy lines Feel the strain of Miriam and Marcus’s bond across the divisions that surround them.
- Loyalty tested by fear Explore what it costs to remain faithful when violence threatens what you hold dear.
- Adventure with bold feeling Discover Haggard’s bold storytelling in a romance shaped by war, danger and survival.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who enjoy historical adventure, ancient Rome and Jerusalem, and romance under pressure. It also suits fans of Haggard's other tales. If you want a modern, quiet or psychologically subtle novel, its bold style may feel dated.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A city on the edge of ruin
- Miriam, the girl called Pearl
- A Roman and a forbidden love
- Faith, danger and how it is told
Who’s who
- MiriamThe Pearl-Maiden of the title, a young woman of firm faith who must find a way to survive in a city at war.
- MarcusA Roman whose life crosses Miriam's and who is drawn to her despite the enmity between their peoples.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 14 h 59 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: 0,14 USD a day, then 0,27 USD a day, never raised. Or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Das Perlenmädchen in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: Deutsch
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 4
A city on the edge of ruin
The story opens in a world that is already breaking apart. Judea is under Roman rule, and anger against that rule is rising. Haggard draws on the history of the great revolt, which led to the Roman siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in the year 70.
This setting is not a mere backdrop. Jerusalem in those years was crowded, hungry and divided, with rival groups inside the walls fighting one another as well as the enemy outside. Haggard uses that tension to give his plot its pressure. Every choice his characters make has to be made while danger gathers.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
H. Rider Haggard
1856–1925 · English adventure novelist
Henry Rider Haggard (1856–1925) was an English novelist. He was born in Norfolk, lived in southern Africa from 1875 to 1881, and later settled in Norfolk. He wrote King Solomon’s Mines (1885), She (1887), and Beatrice (1890). He also wrote about agriculture and rural life. He died in London.
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More by H. Rider Haggard
All 33 books
More like this
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Das Perlenmädchen
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is Pearl-Maiden about?
It is a historical romance set during the Roman siege of Jerusalem. It follows a young woman of faith named Miriam and a Roman, Marcus, whose bond is tested by war, danger and the gulf between their peoples.
When was Pearl-Maiden written?
H. Rider Haggard published it in 1903. The story is set much earlier, in the first century, and ends around the fall of Jerusalem in the year 70, though its main characters are invented.
Is Pearl-Maiden a true story?
No. The siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in the year 70 are real history. The central characters and their adventures are Haggard's invention, set within those events.
Popular in adventure
See all
Free
Free
Free
