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The Jewel Of Medina (2008)

by Sherry Jones(Favorite Author)

3.49 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0825305187 (ISBN13: 9780825305184)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Beaufort Books

series

Medina

review 1: Hmmmm. Told from the point if view of a child bride to the prophet Muhammed. Yet again, first person POV ruins what might have been a very good story. The first and last seventy-five pages or so seem to hint at real depth in the characters, but everything in between is pretty flat. Muhammad comes off as lustful, power-hungry, and self-serving throughout most of the book, with no hint as to why anyone would even follow him, other than his growing military might. Was this simply because the author chose to write through the eyes of a young, impetuous, jealous girl? Or is that the author's take on Islam itself? In the interview at the end of the book, she talks about her "huge regard and respect for the Muslim faith", but it doesn't come through in the novel at all. I do unde... morerstand that imagining things through the eyes of his youngest wife is an interesting exercise, but I think writing in the third person would have allowed her to craft a more nuanced story. As it is written, it reads more like a soap opera, when it could have been a compelling story set in an interesting time and place.
review 2: If you read it purely as a work of fiction, it was an ok novel. It kept my attention all throughout the book. Looking at some of the reviews though, one can clearly say that some had hoped to find some historical truth in it...or find some understanding of the Muslim faith...if you were one of those people, you surely found disappointment. Overall it was about a young girl's growth and maturity as she learns about love. less

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