The word that kept ringing in my mind as I read A Reluctant Queen was "accessible." Joan Wolf has done a marvelous job of taking the biblical story of Esther and making the key historical figures accessible. They are not just words on a page anymore - they seem to be living, breathing people who are following the course that has been set out for them.The story centers around Esther. In this fictionalized take on the historical Esther, Esther is portrayed as confident but shy, and fairly unassuming. Her uncle, Mordecai, enlists her to enter the king's beauty competition to find a new wife, so that she can be a secret representative of the Jewish people. As most readers already know, the king picks Esther over hundreds of other girls, and Esther unexpectedly becomes queen.
The meat of this book is undoubtedly the growing relationship between the king (Ahasuerus) and Esther. As was customary in that time and region, they barely knew each other when they married. However, Esther finds herself appreciating him more and more, and they begin to form a tentative relationship. I loved the dialogue between these two - alternately formal and informal. It was great to see the relationship take root and finally blossom, and I found myself smiling on more than one occasion.
The only downfall to the book, in my estimation, is how much political talk there is. I recognize that it is historical, and quite central to the story, but I found it to be detracting from the love story. That being said, Wolf does a great job of portraying Haman as an incredibly jealous man, and by the end (*SPOILER*), when he is hanged, the reader is glad to see him go.
I enjoyed this quick read, if for no other reason than to have these characters come alive so vividly. I highly recommend this book!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”
