Synopsis: When Xerxes, king of Persia, issues a call for beautiful
young women, Hadassah, a Jewish orphan living in Susa, is forcibly taken to the
palace of the pagan ruler. After months of preparation, the girl known to the
Persians as Esther wins the king's heart and a queen's crown. But because her
situation is uncertain, she keeps her ethnic identity a secret until she learns
that an evil and ambitious man has won the king's permission to exterminate all
Jews--young and old, powerful and helpless. Purposely violating an ancient
Persian law, she risks her life in order to save her people...and bind her
husband's heart. (from the back of the book)Review: Esther is a favorite bible story, and I enjoy reading renditions. This was a pleasant edition. I thought the idea of Esther loving the king seemed a bit implausible, but other than that, Hunt stayed true to many of the customs and histories of the ancient Persians. The characters felt multi-dimensional and the plot flowed nicely. In the end, this was a fine retelling. I recommend if you are interested in versions of the Esther story.
Bookmarks: 7 of 10
Awards: None
ISBN: 978-0-7642-1695-4
Date Finished: 3-1-2015
Pages: 348
No comments:
Post a Comment