Book Review and Blog Tour: A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

June 10, 2011 in Book Reviews with 0 Comments

Title: The Reluctant Queen – The Love Story of Esther
Author: Joan Wolf
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 978-1-59554-876-4
SRP: $15.99

About the Book

You’ve read it as a Biblical tale of Courage. Experience it anew as a heart-stirring love story.

She was a simple girl faced with an impossible choice. He was a magnificent king with a lonely heart.

Their love was the divine surprise that changed the course of history.

The beloved story of Esther springs to fresh life in this inspired novel that vibrates with mystery, intrigue and romance.

Check out a sample from the audiobook of A Reluctant Queen, read by Brooke Sanford:

Preview the book here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=U0Z1a80-UtIC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1&output=embed

My Thoughts

A Reluctant Queen is a fictional retelling of the Biblical Story of the book of Esther.

The Biblical Story:
Esther’s story is the story of an orphaned Jewish girl, living with her Uncle Mordecai, a minor official in the court of Xerxes. A series of incidents occur that leads to Esther becoming Xerxes Queen, without her revealing her Jewish heritage (her Uncle suggests she keep this a secret from the King).

Mordecai, hearing of a conspiracy, gets word to the king through Esther, which thwarts the plot, and puts him in the good graces of the king. Xerxes, busy with courtly duties, subsequently forgets to honor his loyalty. Meanwhile, Haman, a high court official complains to Xerxes about the Jews and is given carte blanche to write his own decree concerning the Jews. Haman plans nothing less than the total annihilation of the Jews, issuing an official decree sealed with the king’s signet ring. Mordecai hears of the decree and pleads with Esther to intercede with the King to save the Jews. Esther decides she can do nothing less, so she invites the king and Haman to a special banquet the following night.

Xerxes, unable to sleep, orders a servant to read the record of his reign. When they get to the record of Mordecai uncovering the conspiracy, the kings asks how he was honored. Finding that his loyalty was never rewarded, the king orders Haman to lead a horse carrying Mordecai, dressed in royal attire throughout the capital. Haman grudgingly does as the king orders, all the while plotting the hanging of Mordecai on a specially built gallows.

That night, at the banquet, Esther reveals to the king and Haman that she is Jewish, and that Haman has ordered the slaughter of her and all of her people. The king then hears from one of Esthers servants about the gallows that Haman had built and he orders the hanging of Haman there instead. He then gives Mordecai the authority to correct the situation, which he does by giving the Jews the right to defend themselves.

The Jews organize and attack those intending to harm them, thus thwarting their slaughter. This day came to be celebrated yearly, the celebration of Purim, observed by those of the Jewish faith to this day.

Novels based on historical facts (or Biblical ones as the case may be) are one of my favorite genres to read, and A Reluctant Queen didn’t disappoint. Based on the book of Esther in the Holy Bible, the author weaves a tale of politics and court intrigues; greed and jealousy; and the romance that develops between Esther and the fictional king Ahasuerus. Ms. Wolf took creative license in creating this king – as she says in the Author’s note: “he is a far more admirable character than the king in the Bible”. In Joan Wolf’s version of the story, we get a much fuller picture of the biblical characters. She brings them to life and makes them seem more like real flesh and blood people. Revealing all the follies and foibles of all humans, all the great accomplishments and the stupid mistakes we are prone to in our human-ness.

Although the Biblical recounting of Esther’s story has all the makings of great storytelling, Ms. Wolf brought the characters to life and wove the story into a beautiful story of love, without compromising the underlying premise of the Bible story: God has a plan and He works His plan through real human people.

About the Author

Joan Wolf was born in New York City but has lived most of her adult life in Connecticut with her husbandd, two children, and numerous pets. She’s the author of The Road to Avalon lauded as “historical fiction at its finest” by Publishers Weekly. Visit her site for more information.

Q&A Session with Joan Wolf

To celebrate Joan Wolf’s debut Christian Fiction title, A Reluctant Queen, Joan and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have teamed up to give away A Reluctant Queen prize package worth over $150!

One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen

* A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf (for KINDLE)

To enter, just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the contest ends on June 20th. Winner will be announced on June 21st during Joan’s A Reluctant Queen Book Club Party on Facebook (details below)! Hope to see you there – bring yourfriends!

Join the fun on June 21st!

Joan will be wrapping up the blog tour and Kindle giveaway promotion during her A Reluctant Queen FACEBOOK party on her FB author page. During the party she’ll announce the winner of the Kindle, host a book chat discussion, test your trivia skills (Is Esther’s story in A Reluctant Queen fact or fiction?), and more. Don’t miss this chance to meet the author and make some new friends!

Blog tour schedule:

6/1
Crystal at Eccentric Eclectic Woman http://finamoon.blogspot.com
Ruth at Booktalk & More http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com
Julie Arduini: The Surrendered Scribe http://juliearduini.com
Mocha with Linda http://mochawithlinda.blogspot.com
Sarah at Growing For Christ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ohiosarah
Holly at 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com
Tarena at Laughing Family http://laughingfamily.blogspot.com

6/2
Tina’s Book Reviews http://www.tinasbookreviews.com
Jami’s Reviews http://jamisreviews.blogspot.com
Becky at In The Pages http://inthepages.blogspot.com
Jennifer at Reflections in the Window http://reflectionsinthewindow.blogspot.com
Chrissy at Lil Baby Booty http://lilbabybootie.blogspot.com
Apple Blossom at 4 the LOVE of BOOK http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com/

6/3
Susie at Scraps of Life http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com
Billie the Girl at http://www.billiethegirl.com
Valentina at Carabosse’s Library http://carabosseslibrary.blogspot.com
Laurie at Laurie’s Here http://www.lauriehere.blogspot.com
Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews http://sharonsgardenofbookreviews.blogspot.com
Jennifer at One Day At A Time http://bookreviewsandotherstuff.blogspot.com

6/4
Renee at Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com
Debbie at Journey of Sisters http://www.journeyofsistersblogsport.com
Brittany at A Flower in the Rain http://thecranorfamily.blogspot.com
Kait at Reviews By Jane http://www.reviewsbyjane.blogspot.com
Ruth at This That and the Other Thing htttp://rannthisthat.blogspot.com
Stacey at Word up! http://word-up-srudies.blogspot.com
April’s Lifestyle Show http://www.aprilslifestyleshow.com

6/6
Mindy at A Room without Books Empty http://detweilermom/blogspot.com
Mary Ann at A Mom With A Blog http://www.amomwithablog.com
Lena at A Christian Writer’s World http://lenanelsondooley.blogpsot.com
Holly at The Bookshelf http://bookshelfreviews-holly.blogspot.com/
Judy at Seize the Book Blog http://www.seizethebookblog.blogspot.com
Ashley at One of a kind review for Great books http://ashleyeddins.blogspot.com/
Molly at Reviews By Molly http://www.reviewsbymolly.com
Laura at The Book Tree http://thebooktree.blogspot.com

6/7
Danita at Reviews & Life http://www.jdellis.blogspot.com
Felicia at The Darling Girlfriends Review Spot http://thedgrspot.blogspot.com
Diane at That’s What I’m Here For http://www.dianeestrella.com
Leah at Love Grows Best Homeschool http://www.lovegrowsbesthomeschool.blogspot.com
Kim at Window to My World http://berlysue.blogspot.com
Lindsey at Kindred Spirit Mommy http://kindredspiritmommy.com
Books, Etc…by Bina http://www.booksbybina.blogspot.com

6/8
Mollie at The Gandy’s Home Base http://thegandyshomebase.blogspot.com
Danielle at The Happy Wife http://juanshappywife.blogspot.com
Vic’s Media Room http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com
Michele at My Blessings From Above http://koreamom.blogspot.com
Crystal at Just Another Book Lovin’ Girl http://cgmz.blogspot.com
Shari at The Knit Wit http://www.theknitwitbyshair.com
Hannah Jane at I Review… http://hannahjanesreviews.blogspot.com/

6/9
Tammy’s Book Parlor http://tammybookparlor.blogspot.com
Caroline at Happy Four http://happyfour.blogspot.com
Splashes of Joy http://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com
Jill at Book Review Travels http://wordmachine-bookreviewtravels.blogspot.com/
Stacie at Hobbit Door http://hobbitdoor.blogspot.com
Dianna’s Book Reviews http://diannahernandez.wordpress.com/
Laura at Lighthouse Academy http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com
Wendy at Minding Spot http://mindingspot.blogspot.com

6/10
Joyce at Apple Cores http://hollje.wordpress.com/
Janet at Along the Way http://a-long-the-way.blogspot.com
Kaylea at My Scrappy Life http://kaytebug2002.blogspot.com
Briana at I Can’t Decide http://briana-icantdecide.blogspot.com/
Michelle at Our Little Corner of the World http://littlecornerofworld.blogspot.com
Patricia at Dream a little Dream http://liveanddreamalittledream.blogspot.com/
Theresa at Frugal Experiments http://www.frugalexperiments.com
Ruth at Thoughts From a Princess http://ruthkaup.wordpress.com/

6/11
Carlybird’s Home http://www.carlybirdshome.blogspot.com
Deborah at Books, Movies and Chinese Food http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com
Renee at Little Homeschool on the Prairie http://reneek-littlehomeschoolontheprairie.blogspot.com/
LaVigne’s Blog http://lavignesblog.com
Amy at Writing in the Margins http://amyletinsky.wordpress.com
Whitney at Rambles of a SAHM http://ramblesahm.blogspot.com
Christine at Write to the Heart http://drteacherlady.weebly.com

6/13
Cindy’s Book Reviews http://cindylovenreviews.blogspot.com
Erin at Connected2Christ http://www.connected2christ.com/theblog
Heather at Mommy Of 1 and Counting http://www.heatherandavery.blogspot.com
Freda’s Voice http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com
Jane at Winning Readings http://winningreadings.blogspot.com
Kelley at Geaux 2 Girl http://www.geaux2girl.blogspot.com
Lydia at The Overweight Bookshelf http://overweight-bookshelf.blogspot.com
Musings By Lynn http://www.musingsbylynn.blogspot.com

6/14
Jennifer at Life Happens http://lifehappensmamastyle.blogspot.com
Lauri at Knits, Reads and Reviews http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
Charla at For What It’s Worth http://www.quiet-rebel.blogspot.com
Hillary at Our Homeschool Studio http://homeschoolblogger.com/hillarym
Elizabeth at Libby’s Library http://www.llibslibrary.blogospot.com
Andi at Radiant Light http://www.frommipov.blogspot.com
Sana at Novella Vialli’s Blog http://diaryofacambridgestudent.wordpress.com
Marissa at The Review Stew http://www.thereviewstew.com
Laura at Day by Day in Our World http://daybydayinourworld.blogspot.com

6/15
Michelle at Beyond The Silver and The Gold http://beyondsilverandgold.blogspot.com/
Vera at Luxury Reading http://www.luxuryreading.com
Linda’s Lunacy at http://www.lindaslunacy.blogspot.com
Cecilia at The EPIC Rat http://www.theEPICrat.com
Cara at The Law, Books and Life http://blog.caraputman.com
Kristinia at Loving Heart Mommy http://www.lovingheartmommy.com
Angie at Never A Dull Moment http://neveradullmoment-angie.blogspot.com
Angela at All Grown Up http://pantylesspreacherswife.wordpress.com

6/16
Simply Stacie http://simplystacie.net
Melanie at So Many Books…so little time http://melanieski.blogspot.com
Tiffany at A Cozy Reader’s Corner Reviews http://acozyreaderscorner.blogspot.com
Paula at Thrifty Momma’s Brain Food http://www.thriftymommastips.blogspot.com/
Missie at Thirsty http://fillmythirst.blogspot.com
Tammy at Bluerose’s Heart http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com
Jennifer at For Such a Time as This http://www.jennifersikora.com
Kelli at The Zen of Motherhood http://www.thezenofmotherhood.blogspot.com
Stephanie at Sustainable Steffanie http://sustainablesteffanie.blogspot.com
Hey Lorri http://www.hey-lorri.com

6/17
Gingermommy at Tales of a Ranting Ginger http://www.talesofarantingginger.com/
Renee at Doorkeeper http://reneeannsmith.com/
Kat at Reviews From The Heart http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com
Michelle at Patriots of the Republic Academy http://snydershome2003.blogspot.com/
Betsy Ann Writer at Large http://www.betsy-ann.blogspot.com
Revka at The Porch Light http://ourfamilyporch.blogspot.com
Jen at Happy Little Homemaker http://www.happylittlehomemaker.com
Jacque at Good Family Reads http://familyreads.blogspot.com
Mandie at Taking Time for Mommy http://takingtimeformommy.com

6/18
Michelle at Healing Hearts Book Review Blog http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com
Esther at Frequency of Words http://frequencyofwords.tumblr.com/
Megan at The Joys of Life http://www.raunandmegan.blogspot.com
Robin at Scribbles of the Heart http://www.scribblesoftheheart.com/
Michelle at Life in Review http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/
Marjorie at The Writer’s Tool http://marjorievawter.blogspot.com
Savannah at Ridiculous Reviews htp://ridiculousreviewsbysavanah.blogspot.com
Patty at Broken Teepee http://brokenteepee.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through the LitFuse Publicity Group blog tour program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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