Wednesday, May 25, 2011

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf


From the publisher: “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 [Ahasuerus] 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.”

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read and I really enjoyed “A Reluctant Queen” by Joan Wolf. The book kept me engaged throughout the story. Esther is a well-loved Bible story and well known, Joan Wolf did a good job of highlighting things in a new way that kept me interested until the very end. I enjoy thinking of Esther as a love story, even though it probably wasn’t like that in real life. I thought the love story was well done and tactful for the situation Esther was in.

I was surprised with Haman and Mordecci’s characters. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I thought it was interesting how Joan Wolf decided to depict them and flesh out the Biblical account.

Persia and the surrounding countryside were beautiful developed and I enjoyed having some of the descriptions to certain articles of furniture, clothing, or customs that would have been there during that time.






Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.