A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

This book is the love story of Esther from the Bible.  I so enjoy reading Bible stories made into fiction as, even though a lot of details have to be fabricated, it makes the story come vividly to life.  This story is written mostly from the perspective of Esther (though not in first person), and it was very interesting to read about what some of her feelings might have been to be chosen out of all the beautiful women in the king's harem to be his queen, and what her life of luxury might have been like.

There were a few places where this book deviated from the true story written about in the Bible.  One small example is that, in the book, Esther confronted Haman at the first banquet she invited him and the king to, instead of at the second banquet.  Another change that was baffling to me was the author's naming of the king, Ahaseurus.  Growing up I knew him as King Xerxes.  After very minimal research I found that this is the English equivalent of the name Xerxes, which is Greek.  However, I was baffled further by this because in the book, the king's brother is named Xerxes.  So I'm not quite sure how she got to naming this family as such.  One other change I will mention is that the king gave Haman his royal seal when he went away to lead a military battle, and Haman took this opportunity to issue a decree to have all Jews slaughtered by a certain date, signed with the king's seal, without his knowledge.  In the Bible the king is fully aware of Haman's evil plot, though he doesn't know which people group Haman wants to destroy, only that they refuse to obey the king's laws.  Because the author made the king very noble and compassionate in the novel, I suppose she couldn't have him agreeing to the slaughter of an entire people group.

I loved reading along and imagining all the details I never really thought about when reading this story in the Bible, even though I know they are just what one author fabricated.  Things such as the preparations that went on to beautify the women in the harem, the king's and queen's possible feelings for each other, Haman's jealousy, the assassination plot foiled by Mordecai, and the circumstances and feelings surrounding Esther's uninvited entrance to the king's court.  Overall this is a very well-written, entertaining read.