What do you think?
Rate this book
Zion Chronicles #5
The Key to Zion
The fifth book in THE ZION CHRONICLES, The Key to Zion opens with the British in the final stages of their military evacuation from Palestine. Haj Amin Husseini and the Arab Palestinians have been impatiently awaiting this day, but their power has gradually eroded. Five Mid Eastern nations have gathered around the tiny country to divide it up for themselves, totally ignoring the interests of the Palestinians in their greedy conspiracy to destroy the Jews.
While the Jewish Haganah frantically trains its pilots in fighter planes which they, ironically, have bought from Germany—Moshe is still attempting to supply the Old City of Jerusalem with food. Even before statehood is declared on May 14, 1948, full-scale fighting breaks out between the Arabs and the Jews with no intervention from the British. And caught in the middle are the fleeing Palestinian refugees clogging the roads in front of the incoming armies.
THE KEY TO ZION SIGNALS THE HOUR OF DESTINY
While the Jewish Haganah frantically trains its pilots in fighter planes which they, ironically, have bought from Germany—Moshe is still attempting to supply the Old City of Jerusalem with food. Even before statehood is declared on May 14, 1948, full-scale fighting breaks out between the Arabs and the Jews with no intervention from the British. And caught in the middle are the fleeing Palestinian refugees clogging the roads in front of the incoming armies.
THE KEY TO ZION SIGNALS THE HOUR OF DESTINY
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 1991
129 people are currently reading
1295 people want to read
About the author
Bodie Thoene
203 books1,364 followersBODIE AND BROCK THOENE (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 45 works of historical fiction. These best sellers have sold more than 10 million copies and won eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards.
Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.
Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake Thoene, Luke Thoene, and Ellie—and five grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.
Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.
Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.
Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake Thoene, Luke Thoene, and Ellie—and five grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.
Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 22, 2017
I finally finished reading the complete Zion Chronicles. The whole story is in chronological order from the beginning to the end, outside chapter 1 in each volume that takes you back to the year 70 AD and gives you something that could relate to each volume. If you decide to read through this series, then I recommend you read it in order starting with volume 1 and ending with volume 5. If you jump around to reading them in a different haphazard way, you will not get the full meaning of each story. I also liked the way that Bodie Thoene used Scripture in dealing with the main characters. I have learned a lot about witnessing to the lost through the examples that were given in the stories. Also a lot of Scripture was used in dealing with Christian growth.
May 14, 2023
Caveat:: my ratings are based on genre meaning this is a 3 star in the Historical Romance genre NOT as compared to a great piece of literature like O'Connor or Solzhenitsyn::
Not my favorite though it's the last in the series. There were too many scenes with Gerhardt, or maybe I was just tired of him and his evil by this book.
The introduction of the character Sarai and her relationship to Rachel was precious and beautiful though. And the book ended well to tie up the series.
Not my favorite though it's the last in the series. There were too many scenes with Gerhardt, or maybe I was just tired of him and his evil by this book.
The introduction of the character Sarai and her relationship to Rachel was precious and beautiful though. And the book ended well to tie up the series.
January 18, 2018
It's the final days of the occupation of Palestine, and the Arab nations are gearing up to invade. The Israelis are trying to get ready to defend. The Palestinians are getting out.
Not bad.
Not bad.
February 21, 2012
*the occasional spoiler*
Awesome sauce! i loved the end to the series! yay for Yehudit and Dov! i knew they were meant to be!
for three quarters of the book, i thought Kane and Crabtree were the same people! i was so confused until i realized i made a dumb mistake.
I'm so sad that Sarai died, but so glad that she took Gerhardt with her ... i loved how her lilac dress was called 'the garden'...a wonderful way to describe it! Sarai and Rachael making peace by finding the connection between them was amazing. Rachael was definitely a good example for Moshe, loving her enemies.
excellent, excellent ending!
Awesome sauce! i loved the end to the series! yay for Yehudit and Dov! i knew they were meant to be!
for three quarters of the book, i thought Kane and Crabtree were the same people! i was so confused until i realized i made a dumb mistake.
I'm so sad that Sarai died, but so glad that she took Gerhardt with her ... i loved how her lilac dress was called 'the garden'...a wonderful way to describe it! Sarai and Rachael making peace by finding the connection between them was amazing. Rachael was definitely a good example for Moshe, loving her enemies.
excellent, excellent ending!
September 8, 2012
The Zion Chronicles series covers the events surrounding Israel's statehood in 1948. Each book vividly portrays the intense struggle of the Jewish people in the aftermath of the Holocaust and the forces, within and without, which engulf the Middle East in conflict and controversy even today. "Will there ever be peace in Zion?" The Jewish people wonder as they stream into t...more The Zion Chronicles series covers the events surrounding Israel's statehood in 1948. Each book vividly portrays the intense struggle of the Jewish people in the aftermath of the Holocaust and the forces, within and without, which engulf the Middle East in conflict and controversy even today. "Will there ever be peace in Zion?" The Jewish people wonder as they stream into the British Mandate of Palestine after the devastation of World War II. What has happened to God's promises to their nation? These updated classics feature a new look and added study questions suitable for individual use or group discussion.
February 22, 2012
The reason I chose 5 stars was because this series usually I walk past, but on a friends recommendation I picked up the first book. I was pleasantly surprised. I loved this book. So much that I bought the entire series in a nice collection. I loved the History and the fact that the characters and the events are actual events and real people that lived in these most trying times of faith and perseverance. I loved the fact that this book brought this History to life for me about the creation of the Jewish state of Israel. I liked the characters and the fictional conversations. I think sometimes the folks that give this book a dismal review are probably not Christians and every book they read has to be epic of sorts. I cat wait to get into the other continuing series from Thoene.
February 8, 2013
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous series. Sorry to see it end. I have learned so much about Israel's struggle for statehood, and I now plan to try to find the preceeding series (World War II) and read them. (A friend lent me the 12 A.D. Chronicles series, and those got me hooked.)
These authors are talented and their books are inspirational, informative, educational and heart-warming. I can't recommend them too highly.
These authors are talented and their books are inspirational, informative, educational and heart-warming. I can't recommend them too highly.
November 13, 2011
I love Bodie Thoene's books. She is one of my top favorite authors. I recommend her books to anyone interested in history or historical fiction. Her husband, Brock, does magnificent research on each book. Whether you read one of her series or a stand-alone book, they are great. I've never been disappointed by a Bodie Thoene book.
June 23, 2021
Wow. I'd say I need more of these books--there is so much more to do in Jerusalem, this can't be the last book in the Zion Chronicles series!--but that epilogue stopped me in my tracks. And nearly made me tear up.
Setting: A thorough overview of the setting in this book would basically just be transcribing the entire book. This book begins after the Hadassah Convoy massacre, in April of 1948, just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The characters go everywhere, from the Old City to Italy, Yugoslavia, Austria, and about everywhere else, it seems, in Europe. We even cross the ocean and visit the private quarters of President Truman in the U.S. The past troublesome journeys are mentioned, beautifully integrated with the plot, including the prologue, a flashback to 70 A.D. The future is likewise not ignored; the epilogue assures the reader (in almost too-vague terms) how this certain story ends, keeping to the historical factual events and God's sometimes maddening "Wait ... wait ... and a little more waiting" timing. Simply put, historical setting is everything in this book--really, of course the whole series.
Characters: The adorable scenes with Moshe and Rachel and David and Ellie abound in this book, and I couldn't get enough. Rachel is so precious and godly and amazing, and I completely understand her need to be always near her husband--because her husband is so perfect and amazing ... and such a man. He's nearly at the perfection of God, but the Thoenes cleverly slip a human weakness into his character, and he instantly becomes the most relatable man transcending generations.
But I can't forget David and Ellie! Their faithfulness combined with somewhat bumbling ways and occasional ignorance--but never total stupidity--never fails to capture my heart. You really can't blame them for their failures; after all, their tasks are monumentally difficult, and very few people could accomplish them. (As a side note--after reading about David's exploits, you may hesitate to enter public restrooms.)
I'm so glad for all the other characters, too (believe me, there are plenty!): Grandfather and Yacov, Yehudit and Dov, Ehud ... even Sarai. There's actually a long list of characters about whom I'm not glad: Haj Amin, Gerhardt, Captain Stewart, Maryanne, Crabtree ... seriously, how many antagonists does one book need? At some point I stopped caring about the proper flow of the plot and wished for all of these wicked scum to just drop dead.
Plot: Do I need to elaborate? You could read a history book and some newspapers, and perhaps glean the same historical facts--maybe--but you wouldn't experience the heartfelt struggles, love the Jewish people, adopt the characters' indomitable faith, and desire to head to the Old City and pick up a gun, even though it means certain death. If you're looking for a happy-ever-after and every plot point to be wrapped up perfectly, you're looking in the wrong place, because spoiler alert, Jesus hasn't yet returned and established his kingdom in Jerusalem.
In conclusion, this whole series is a masterpiece of post-WWII Jewish statehood history, and anyone who wants to learn about it--history or just for the story--should read it.
Setting: A thorough overview of the setting in this book would basically just be transcribing the entire book. This book begins after the Hadassah Convoy massacre, in April of 1948, just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The characters go everywhere, from the Old City to Italy, Yugoslavia, Austria, and about everywhere else, it seems, in Europe. We even cross the ocean and visit the private quarters of President Truman in the U.S. The past troublesome journeys are mentioned, beautifully integrated with the plot, including the prologue, a flashback to 70 A.D. The future is likewise not ignored; the epilogue assures the reader (in almost too-vague terms) how this certain story ends, keeping to the historical factual events and God's sometimes maddening "Wait ... wait ... and a little more waiting" timing. Simply put, historical setting is everything in this book--really, of course the whole series.
Characters: The adorable scenes with Moshe and Rachel and David and Ellie abound in this book, and I couldn't get enough. Rachel is so precious and godly and amazing, and I completely understand her need to be always near her husband--because her husband is so perfect and amazing ... and such a man. He's nearly at the perfection of God, but the Thoenes cleverly slip a human weakness into his character, and he instantly becomes the most relatable man transcending generations.
But I can't forget David and Ellie! Their faithfulness combined with somewhat bumbling ways and occasional ignorance--but never total stupidity--never fails to capture my heart. You really can't blame them for their failures; after all, their tasks are monumentally difficult, and very few people could accomplish them. (As a side note--after reading about David's exploits, you may hesitate to enter public restrooms.)
I'm so glad for all the other characters, too (believe me, there are plenty!): Grandfather and Yacov, Yehudit and Dov, Ehud ... even Sarai. There's actually a long list of characters about whom I'm not glad: Haj Amin, Gerhardt, Captain Stewart, Maryanne, Crabtree ... seriously, how many antagonists does one book need? At some point I stopped caring about the proper flow of the plot and wished for all of these wicked scum to just drop dead.
Plot: Do I need to elaborate? You could read a history book and some newspapers, and perhaps glean the same historical facts--maybe--but you wouldn't experience the heartfelt struggles, love the Jewish people, adopt the characters' indomitable faith, and desire to head to the Old City and pick up a gun, even though it means certain death. If you're looking for a happy-ever-after and every plot point to be wrapped up perfectly, you're looking in the wrong place, because spoiler alert, Jesus hasn't yet returned and established his kingdom in Jerusalem.
In conclusion, this whole series is a masterpiece of post-WWII Jewish statehood history, and anyone who wants to learn about it--history or just for the story--should read it.
December 29, 2022
Excellent final book in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ms. Thoene's exciting rendition of the establishing of the State of Israel. What huge challenges these faithful went through is well represented in this series. Getting a bird's eye view of what occurred through this historical fiction series brought great insight to this seeker of our Jewish Messiah and the country that our God favors and promised to fulfill His promises upon. Each character brought to life the excitement of the knowledge and hope living within the recovered Isaiah scrolls as the story unfolded. The reminder of the sting of the Holocaust was well represented, still so fresh and painful in the hearts of those who'd survived. Watching Rachel rise from the ashes and then pour fresh salve from her heart, from her Savior's heart upon the Arab girl whose soul had been destroyed was so humbling. O my soul, ye have been fed from these chapters well. If you have any love for Israel at all, these are a must read! Many more stories like this could stir up well our understanding of the realities of the unravelling of Israel's oppressors and the rebuilding of this tiny nation. Write more Ms. Thoene!
June 25, 2018
This series has officially made my top Five!
I was recommended the Zion Chronicles by my 'in laws' and needless to say I'm so happy I picked up the first book!
I can not believe how engaging, entertaining and teaching it is! If you love history, intrigue, war, romance and faith. This is worth while reading!
I promise you'll love it as much as I did!
You may even find yourself putting the book down to google and research various aspects of the Israel war and realise how little you know about the subject!
These authors are becoming my "must reads" and I've already started another of their series! I am obsessed!
Seriously, just read it.
I was recommended the Zion Chronicles by my 'in laws' and needless to say I'm so happy I picked up the first book!
I can not believe how engaging, entertaining and teaching it is! If you love history, intrigue, war, romance and faith. This is worth while reading!
I promise you'll love it as much as I did!
You may even find yourself putting the book down to google and research various aspects of the Israel war and realise how little you know about the subject!
These authors are becoming my "must reads" and I've already started another of their series! I am obsessed!
Seriously, just read it.
June 20, 2019
Even though I knew how this series would end, this book kept me in suspense as it continued to unfold. The series gave me insight into the struggles of the Jews in finally having a portion of their land returned to them to become their own country. The story did move slower than the previous 4 books in the series. My favorite part of this book was the Epilogue (don’t go there before you finish the book!)
Although the Key to Zion was the conclusion to this series, Israel’s story continues to unfold...the struggles continue. But as a Christian, I know how the story will ultimately end. Praise God!
Although the Key to Zion was the conclusion to this series, Israel’s story continues to unfold...the struggles continue. But as a Christian, I know how the story will ultimately end. Praise God!
April 30, 2019
Of the 5 books in the series, I liked this one best maybe because it was the finale and loose ends were caught up. Enjoyed the continuing intrigue and denouement of the bad guys as well as learning the historical basis for the American pilots who were hired to fly war-surplus German planes and provide defense for newly created State of Israel (1948). Switching from one location to keep track of characters was not so much challenging as engaging.
November 9, 2019
This book is the last in the series of 5 that covers the statehood of Israeli in 1948. Great historical information on the war between the Jews and the Arabs during that tie frame. Covers all the historical figures and captures the romance and atrocities during a time of was. I really enjoyed the information i got from these novels since I was 8 in 1948 and remember hearing the names portrayed in these books. Enjoy!
July 19, 2021
All good things must come to an end. This is true of good book series, too. This series ended when Israel became a country but oh how I wish more had been written about the four main characters. I gather from the ending of The Key to Zion that all went well for the four main characters. But I had to design an ending in my mind based on the rough details given in Epilogue. This was unsatisfactory in my opinion. Otherwise, this is another great Bodie Thoene book.
November 27, 2022
What an ending to the series
There were so many twists and turns in this final book of The Zion Chronicles. The loss of loved ones, the inhumanity of man to man, the hidden plots, and finally, the triumph over evil. I must admit there weee tears of of sadness but in the end, as when our Savior comes, I know the rest of the story. Thanks to the authors for the time ad research put into this book.
There were so many twists and turns in this final book of The Zion Chronicles. The loss of loved ones, the inhumanity of man to man, the hidden plots, and finally, the triumph over evil. I must admit there weee tears of of sadness but in the end, as when our Savior comes, I know the rest of the story. Thanks to the authors for the time ad research put into this book.
August 27, 2023
Finished the last book in the series on the last day of holidays. :-) A very well-woven tale of the layers of history, human barbarity, the messiness of trying to know what is right, and the all-encompassing nature of grace … during the last month of the British occupation of Palestine.
A warning - this true to history novel has descriptions of horrible things that happened. There is no sensationalising of the events, but they are heart-breaking.
A warning - this true to history novel has descriptions of horrible things that happened. There is no sensationalising of the events, but they are heart-breaking.
March 18, 2025
I find that I know so little about the Jewish stuggle to have their own state. When you don't know much about all the different people in the middle east it's hard to follow what is all going on in this book. Very interesting though regarding the fight the Jewish people have had just trying to survive. She uses real people in this series.
January 7, 2017
In the last of these books, you remain pretty spellbound by the main characters as they fight in their own ways for the future of Israel. Not going to tell you more because if you'd read the first four in this saga, you are certainly are hooked to read this last one.
Enjoy.....
Enjoy.....
January 8, 2018
I think the book is wonderful. I love the way it ended. I know the history of Iseal. But there is so much more to learn. The whole series was great never a dull moment
June 17, 2019
WonderfuL
I will miss these people, that I have grown to love! This is the last of five books and I wish it has gone on and on!
I will miss these people, that I have grown to love! This is the last of five books and I wish it has gone on and on!
mountain-loop
April 28, 20202 trade
May 20, 2020
Great historical story line. Solid research
yielded a historically accurate account. Left me with a step g desire to know and understand more about the nation of Israel
yielded a historically accurate account. Left me with a step g desire to know and understand more about the nation of Israel
November 1, 2020
This one was very tense and riveting. Fortunately, Gerhardt was destroyed by his own bomb; thankfully for Sarai.
Read
February 12, 2023A beautiful and moving look at love and friendship and what unites and divides people.
February 20, 2024
good book
This series was written very well. Very factual and real. Brock & Bodie Thorne did a wonderful job . My heart goes out to Israel for their strength as a nation.
This series was written very well. Very factual and real. Brock & Bodie Thorne did a wonderful job . My heart goes out to Israel for their strength as a nation.
June 15, 2025
This is either my second or third time reading through this series, and I still find it fascinating, exciting, and encouraging.
October 17, 2025
Great series built around Israel’s journey to statehood.
December 19, 2025
What a way to end the series! I didn’t want to put it down. Can’t wait to read the next series :)
June 4, 2023
An excellent book. An excellent series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews