A Reluctant Queen …By Joan Wolf
About the book: A Reluctant Queen
An inspiring 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.
My Review
A Reluctant Queen is based on the story of Esther in the Bible and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her love story. I felt for her when she realized that she was the pick for King Ahasuerus’ new wife. Knowing he had been married before, had children with several concubines, and was the king, Esther was devastated that her Uncle Mordecai had made her a choice for the king, and I don’t blame her!!
I didn’t like the King at first but as the story unfolded and we begin to vision how he treated Esther and wanted to be with her, I grew to love and respect him. When he was with Esther he could be himself, he didn’t have to act like the king. Esther was so sweet and adorable and everyone in the palace loved her because she treated them with love and respect, no matter who they were. I also liked the fact that she was able to talk the King into anything. He loved her, and that was very clear through his actions.
I feel the author did wonderfully in her writing ability to tell the story of Esther like she did. The book captures your attention in a way that you just don’t want to put it down. It was a fairly light, easy and enjoyable read yet told the Bible story so well, making me get a glimpse of just how it really was for Esther in her time. And to think, we get to meet her in Heaven one day. I can’t wait!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who like Historical fiction, and especially Biblical fiction.
I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher Thomas Nelson through LitFuse Publicity Group. I want to thank Amy for making sure I rec’d this book, even though the publisher didn’t send it in time for the tour. The opinions in this review are mine only.
About Joan:
Joan Wolf was born in New York City but has lived most of her adult life with her husband in Connecticut , where she raised two children and countless numbers of assorted animals. Joan is the author of numerous historical novels including The Road to Avalon which Publishers Weekly lauded as “historical fiction at its finest.”
For more about Joan and her other books, please visitwww.joanwolf.com.
Questions and Answers with Joan
What draws you to historical/biblical fiction?
I have always adored history, a love I inherited from my father. He used to discuss people from history as if they were people in the current newspapers. I think almost 90% of my books must have an historical setting.
You’ve had a successful career writing for the ABA, why start writing for the CBA now?
A few years ago I had an extraordinary experience where God touched my life. This encounter stirred my interest in writing about other people who had experienced the presence of God in their lives and the CBA seemed to be the best place for me to do that.
What is it about the historical account of Esther that led you to write a romance story about her?
When I was a girl Esther fascinated me. It seemed wonderful that God had chosen a woman to be the person who would save His people. And, since I am a romantic soul, I also thought that there must have been a great love between her and the king for him to have done as she asked.
Why did you move away from the traditional interpretation of King Ahasuerus’ conduct?
I always thought that Ahasuerus must have loved Esther deeply because he listened to her and revoked the edict that Haman had sent out. A king who not only allows his wife to break into his religious feast without punishment, but also comes to have dinner with her the following day, must care for her very much indeed. And such a man must be a much nicer person than the king traditionally portrayed by Xerses/ Ahasuerus.
You love animals. Do you ever incorporate them into your books?
Do I not ever incorporate animals into my books? I am famous for my horses, but dogs play their part as well. Unfortunately, I couldn’t put Esther on a horse, but I did make Ahasuerus a fanatical horseman.
What is your favorite historical era to write about?
I love to go way back in time, to periods where the records are mostly archeological. I actually did three books set in the Upper Paleolithic, the period of the last ice age. My next book is about Rahab, and I’m having such fun reading about pottery and stone remains from the late Bronze Age.
splashesofjoy 