The Seventh Handmaiden
Judith Pransky
Darya does not remember how she came to be a slave or who she was before she was bought by an army captain for his motherless daughter in the ancient Persian city of Susa. Protected and nurtured by the housekeeper and her daughter, Darya has as good a life as a slave can have, even acquiring the rare skill of reading and writing, which she learns alongside her young mistress. When the captain dies and the household is broken up, this skill proves to be her lifeline. She becomes the seventh handmaiden to the mysterious Esther, who is being housed at the Royal Palace while in contention to be King Xerxes’ new Queen.
However, life in Ancient Persia is precarious for women and outsiders, wherever they are in the hierarchy. When the king appoints a new prime minister called Haman, Darya and Esther are drawn into his murderous conflict with the Judean community and Mordechai, their leader, who lives just outside the palace gates.
In a world of discord and uprising, Darya seeks to fix the world around her and protect her friends, while also trying to unravel the mysteries surrounding who she is and how she became a slave. As she grows from childhood to womanhood she grapples with her own identity, her aspirations and desires and begins to understand the true meaning of both slavery and freedom.
Duration - 6h 26m.
Author - Judith Pransky.
Narrator - Rachel F Hirsch.
Published Date - Thursday, 18 January 2024.
Copyright - © 2021 Green Been Books ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
Darya does not remember how she came to be a slave or who she was before she was bought by an army captain for his motherless daughter in the ancient Persian city of Susa. Protected and nurtured by the housekeeper and her daughter, Darya has as good a life as a slave can have, even acquiring the rare skill of reading and writing, which she learns alongside her young mistress. When the captain dies and the household is broken up, this skill proves to be her lifeline. She becomes the seventh handmaiden to the mysterious Esther, who is being housed at the Royal Palace while in contention to be King Xerxes’ new Queen. However, life in Ancient Persia is precarious for women and outsiders, wherever they are in the hierarchy. When the king appoints a new prime minister called Haman, Darya and Esther are drawn into his murderous conflict with the Judean community and Mordechai, their leader, who lives just outside the palace gates. In a world of discord and uprising, Darya seeks to fix the world around her and protect her friends, while also trying to unravel the mysteries surrounding who she is and how she became a slave. As she grows from childhood to womanhood she grapples with her own identity, her aspirations and desires and begins to understand the true meaning of both slavery and freedom. Duration - 6h 26m. Author - Judith Pransky. Narrator - Rachel F Hirsch. Published Date - Thursday, 18 January 2024. Copyright - © 2021 Green Been Books ©.
Language:
English
Opening Credits
Duration:00:00:10
Prologue
Duration:00:06:09
Chapter 1
Duration:00:11:29
Chapter 2
Duration:00:09:46
Chapter 3
Duration:00:09:25
Chapter 4
Duration:00:15:55
Chapter 5
Duration:00:10:27
Chapter 6
Duration:00:09:38
Chapter 7
Duration:00:12:45
Chapter 8
Duration:00:11:16
Chapter 9
Duration:00:15:05
Chapter 10
Duration:00:06:55
Chapter 11
Duration:00:08:23
Chapter 12
Duration:00:09:34
Chapter 13
Duration:00:12:51
Chapter 14
Duration:00:10:30
Chapter 15
Duration:00:07:02
Chapter 16
Duration:00:08:33
Chapter 17
Duration:00:10:15
Chapter 18
Duration:00:07:32
Chapter 19
Duration:00:10:01
Chapter 20
Duration:00:08:00
Chapter 21
Duration:00:13:02
Chapter 22
Duration:00:07:34
Chapter 23
Duration:00:08:05
Chapter 24
Duration:00:07:16
Chapter 25
Duration:00:08:45
Chapter 26
Duration:00:17:01
Chapter 27
Duration:00:11:31
Chapter 28
Duration:00:10:41
Chapter 29
Duration:00:09:16
Chapter 30
Duration:00:09:31
Chapter 31
Duration:00:08:54
Chapter 32
Duration:00:07:49
Chapter 33
Duration:00:12:51
Chapter 34
Duration:00:09:07
Chapter 35
Duration:00:07:44
Chapter 36
Duration:00:19:10
Author's Notes
Duration:00:06:03
Closing Credits
Duration:00:00:21