Historical Fiction Middle East

Gate of the Sun: Bab al-Shams is the first true magnum opus of the Palestinian saga. Through the passing of the beloved midwife and matriarch of the Shatila refugee camp outside Beirut, the listener enters a world of displacement, fear, and tenuous hope. A doctor tells a story to a man in a coma in an attempt to keep him alive. The patient, Yunes, is from Galilee, where he left Nahla, the love of his life. The novel unfolds at his bedside through Dr. Khalil’s intimate and haunting flights of memory.

In this first of a series of four novels, the Jewish rebellion begins in a backdrop of secret tunnels and assassins, where the dreaded Sicarii can strike like lightning and blend back into the crowd just as quickly. Even trained Roman mercenaries are no match for them.

In this Newberry Medal-winning novel, Daniel bar Jamin is fired by only one passion: to avenge his father's death by crucifixion by driving the Roman legions from his land of Isreal...

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR from NPR Set in Jaffa in between 1947 and 1951, this “fable-like historical novel of young love ... darkly humorous and touching” (Oprah Daily) is based on a true story during the beginning of the destruction of Palestine and displacement of its people. Based on...

At the start of 1991, 11-year-old Ali Fadhil was consumed by his love for soccer, video games, and American television shows. Then, on January 17, Iraq's dictator, Saddam Hussein, went to war with 34 nations led by the United States. Over the next 43 days, Ali and his family survived bombings, food shortages, and constant fear. Ali and his brothers played soccer on the abandoned streets of their Basra neighborhood, wondering when or if their medic father would return from the war front. Cinematic, accessible, and timely, this is the story of one ordinary kid's view of life during war.

Cotton Malone retired from the high-risk world of elite operatives for the U.S. Justice Department to lead the low-key life of a rare-book dealer. But his quiet existence is shattered when he receives an anonymous e-mail: “You have something I want. You’ re the only person on earth who knows...

It is the year 1915, and the British and Ottoman Empires clash in a deadly struggle in the Middle East. Tasked with keeping the Ottomans out of Suez Canal, Major Andrew Selkirk discovers that his real assignment is to retrieve a Bengali spy working for those who vow to see British rule out of India. After landing on the west coast of Palestine, Selkirk discovers the Ottomans have taken the spy captive. Even more troubling are the plans by Ottomans and Germans to draw Afghanistan and Persia into the war against Great Britain.

Ranofer struggles to thwart the plottings of his evil brother, Gebu, so he can become master goldsmith like their father. Young listeners will love this exciting tale of ancient Egyptian mystery and intrigue.

In this audiobook, master storyteller Jim Weiss introduces young listeners to some of the most fascinating people and events of the Middle Ages. Attila the Hun makes an empire shake with fear. Sir William Marshall outfights every opponent - yet shows mercy even to his enemies. Hildegard of Bingen writes beautiful music - and writes advice letters to kings and queens! Muhammad changes the map of the world, and inspires a faith that guides millions of people. Eleanor of Aquitaine fights for power in a world ruled by men. Moses Maimonides heals illnesses of the body and the spirit.

Two women. Two revolutions. A lifetime of exile and longing. In 1978, seventeen-year-old Omid is forced to flee Iran on the eve of the Islamic Revolution, leaving behind a mother whose defiance against the regime has made her a marked woman. Arriving in America, Omid believes her stay will be temporary. But when her mother is declared a fugitive, her dreams of return collapse, and she is left to build a life in exile—one shaped by loss, resilience, and the echoes of a past she cannot escape. Three decades later, Omid is a mother raising her daughters in Connecticut, trying to bury the ...

He built monuments, but he destroyed everyone he loved. Herod the Great ruled the Holy Land for thirty-seven years, transforming a backwater province into the jewel of the Roman Empire. His architectural marvels—including the magnificent Second Temple—still inspire awe today. But behind the golden façade lay a man consumed by paranoia, whose quest for absolute power would cost him his family, his soul, and ultimately his sanity. From his rise as a young military commander to his final, blood-soaked years, “Herod the Great: The Last King” traces the epic tragedy of history’s most ...

From the "Unsung Heroes of the Bible" series comes the inspiring true story of the young scribe who risked everything to preserve God's word. While most children know about the prophet Jeremiah, few have heard of Baruch ben Neriah—the faithful scribe who stood beside him through persecution, imprisonment, and exile. In "Baruch the Faithful Scribe," middle grade readers discover how one ordinary young man's dedication to accuracy and truth helped preserve the very words of God for future generations. When King Jehoiakim burns Jeremiah's prophecies, Baruch must rewrite every word while ...

Brought to you by Penguin. The international bestseller from the Booker-shortlisted author of The Island of Missing Trees and 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World * One of the BBC's '100 Novels that Shaped the World'* "Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation...

#1 Bestseller in Brazil — Now in English for the First Time What if everything you knew about Jesus was both true and incomplete? In this powerful work of historical fiction, Brazilian author Henry Bugalho reimagines the Gospels as a human drama—raw, intimate, and unforgettable. Narrated in the first person by Yeshua himself, The King of the Jews strips away two thousand years of theology to reveal the man beneath the myth: a carpenter's son, a passionate husband, a rebel prophet who dared to challenge both the Temple and Rome. This is not the distant, divine figure of stained glass ...

A shocking act of terror brings the Middle East to the point of explosion. As the resulting political conflict threatens to erupt, a young Jewish American lawyer joins the defense team of an arrested but possibly innocent Palestinian. Soon the lawyer's father, a famed criminal attorney, must win the Palestinian's case or risk losing his daughter forever. To do so, he must take into account the tormented history of the Holy Land from every possible angle.

Book 1: The Siege of Acre. Set during the Third Crusade’s siege of Acre, this story follows Alaric, a disillusioned Crusader; Nadia, a torn spy; Bishop Raymond, a morally tested cleric; and Amir, an Acre defender hiding his love for Nadia, as the fall of Acre forces life-altering choices. Book 2: The Road to Jerusalem Following the fall of Acre, the Crusaders marched towards Jerusalem. This season could explore new alliances, betrayals, and the complex politics between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. Book 3: Betrayal at the Holy City The Crusaders finally laid siege to Jerusalem, but ...

What if everything you believed about faith was based on a beautiful lie? When archaeologist Dr. Elias Mercer receives a mysterious letter from the Vatican Archive, he expects a routine authentication job. Instead, he uncovers evidence that will challenge two thousand years of Christian doctrine—and force him to choose between truth and the faith that comforted his dying sister. A globe-spanning archaeological thriller that asks: Does historical truth destroy faith, or does it set it free? From the sacred caves of Qumran to the hidden chambers beneath Jerusalem. From the Himalayan peaks ...

A family secret revealed 40 years ago by a grandmother to her grandson is now an acclaimed Russian historical fiction novel. A Hundred Sweet Promises is the tale of the author’s grandfather, Nasrosoltan, a famed composer, who on the eve of World War I travels from Persia to Russia to study classical music at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with such masters as Rimsky-Korsakov.

From the Nobel Prize winner and best-selling author of Snow and My Name Is Red, a fable of fathers and sons and the desires that come between them. On the outskirts of a town thirty miles from Istanbul, a master well digger and his young apprentice are hired to find water on a barren plain. As...

Jerusalem, 1947: Judith, a young Jewish woman who survived Dachau concentration camp, arrives in Palestine after a treacherous journey and seeks refuge with her only remaining relative, her uncle. When Judith learns her uncle has died, she tries to take her own life in despair. In Hadassah Hospital, Hana, an Arab nurse, saves Judith’s life by donating her own blood. A fragile bond of friendship develops between the two women, but it will face a harsh test over time.