A Reluctant Queen
The Love Story of Esther
By Joan Wolf
Published by Thomas Nelson
Awesome read!
As a young girl, Esther dreams of one day marrying and having a family for all the right reasons – love. As the political climate directs, young Esther is convinced by her loving Uncle to be presented to the King of Persia as a candidate for Queen. As she is challenged to decide whether or not to follow God’s plan for her life, Esther finds herself in circumstances she thought she could never endure.
The Biblical story of Queen Esther can be a familiar one. As an author, the familiarity of a story, especially a Biblical one, can present a challenge in development as a novel. Wolf herself discusses how she resolves this challenge in her “Author’s Note” at the end of the book. Wolf states “Where the Bible story and the novel come together is in the underlying premise. God has a plan for the world, and He works His plan through the actions of humans. The big question is, will we allow God to work through us?”.
When I began this book, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical in how Wolf would deal with the Biblical aspects. By the time I finished the read, I was very pleased. I find most contemporary authors tend to lean toward the liberal side when delving into a Christian topic. Wolf delightedly takes this Biblical story and unfolds a tender love story. While tweeking the historical only a bit, Wolf preserves the underlying Christian premises.
Recommend? Absolutely!
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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
See a preview of this book here.
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