The story of Esther is one of the most beloved stories in
the Old Testament of the Bible. The story involves a
young Jewish girl who rises to become Queen of Persia
around the 5th century B.C., and through her bravery
subsequently became the savior of her people. It is a
beautiful story that is as inspiring as it is dramatic,
with a great deal of romance interwoven as well.
In her new book, A RELUCTANT QUEEN: The Love Story of
Esther, author Joan Wolf brings a new, if not different,
look at the love story between Esther and her king.
Wolf introduces readers to young Esther while she's still
living with her uncle Mordecai, an official in the court of
the King. When rumors of an uprising that threatens the
peace between the Persians and the Jewish people living in
their land, Mordecai devises a plan that is risky but if
successful could turn the tide in favor of the Jews.
The reader follows Esther through the elder's plea for her
help, and her placement in a territory-wide contest to find
a new wife for the ruling King, which she agreed to do
never dreaming she might be picked. Through her
introduction to the royal harem and the intense beauty
regimens that prepared her for her introduction to the
king, Esther cooperated as each day brought her closer to
her fate. Well pleased with Esther's beauty and
intelligence, the king chooses her to become his new wife,
unaware that she is Jewish. This unrevealed fact sets into
in motion Esther's ability to influence his decision on
events that would save her people from destruction.
I love the story of Queen Esther, and I have quite a few
books on this courageous queen. So, I was excited to see
how Joan Wolf would present this story. While this is a
well told story, I was disappointed in certain aspects of
it. For instance, Esther didn't become "Esther" until she
was taken to the Persian king's palace. Her real name was
Haddash. A small, but important point to leave out. I also
was disappointed in how her uncle Mordecai was portrayed as
a scheming man who used Esther -- he was not depicted as
such in the Bible. Picky things, but still facts are facts
and should be honored as such when writing about historical
figures.
That being said, A RELUCTANT QUEEN was well written and
very interesting as a work of fiction, and hopefully will
lead readers to learn more about this admirable woman who
some say is the fore-runner of the feminist movement.
An inspired re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young
Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of
power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.
See the story of Esther in an entirely new way-with all the
political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a
passionate and tender love story between a young man and
woman. Misunderstood by many, King Xerxes was a powerful but
lonely man. Esther's beauty caught the eye of the young
king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.
Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith's great
heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of
Christianity.
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