She starts off seeming both beautiful and smart, but as the book progresses, she starts befriending the servants and at one point, even organizing the eunuchs. Remember the heroines who take in every stray urchin and engage in impractical Pollyanna-ish do-gooder projects all over the place? That’s what life in the harem does to Esther. In addition, the author works in encounters between Mordecai and Esther, and between various people in the palace that are not only absent from the biblical account of the story, but which also seem a little too modern to fit into the story.Īnd then there’s the creeping in of a sort of characterization that readers of Regency wallpaper books will recognize. Still, making the reader feel that doesn’t create a compelling read. Esther’s life in the harem was rather cloistered, so one can understand how her days would take on a certain monotony. However, at times the plot of the book seemed to drag on and on. I also found the author’s way of working in history of the time during some of the scenes with the king and his court quite interesting. Given what happens later in the Biblical account, it makes sense to believe that these two would have loved one another.
We also get to watch as Esther and Ahasuerus fall in love and start to build a true marriage. We see Esther’s believable fear over being made to leave the Jewish part of the city, conceal her heritage, and live in a foreign culture. Much of this time is not covered in any detail in the biblical story, so the author had a certain amount of flexibility to weave her story.Īt times, the book was quite fun to read.
And from here, most of the book focuses on Esther’s time in the palace after her marriage to Ahasuerus and the events leading up to Esther saving her people from destruction. Esther made it into consideration because of the actions of her guardian Mordecai, and she did not reveal to the King that she was a Jew. Many young girls from all over the kingdom are brought before him, but the one he chooses is Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman.
Persian King Ahasuerus banishes Queen Vashti, but he needs an heir, so his search for a new bride begins. Readers familiar with the biblical tale of Esther can probably recite the basic elements of plot from memory. It has its good moments, but something about it just seemed a little too ordinary. Yet, even with all of this, A Reluctant Queen fell short somehow. And the biblical story of Esther has room for plenty of romance and adventure. The author, well known and very experienced, has written several books that are favorites of mine. This novel should have had all the elements of a success.
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