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.
Who will love it
For readers who love historical adventure, ancient Rome and Jerusalem, and romance under pressure. Fans of Haggard's other tales will also find faith, danger and loyalty at the heart of this story.
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.
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- Hardcover
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Pearl-Maiden
by H. Rider Haggard · 1903
As Roman armies close in on Jerusalem, Miriam and Marcus risk love across the divide between their peoples.
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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.
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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.
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.
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