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A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther
Unavailable
A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther
Unavailable
A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther
Audiobook8 hours

A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther

Written by Joan Wolf

Narrated by Brooke Sanford Heldman

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

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.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherOasis Audio
Release dateJun 14, 2011
ISBN9781608148707
Unavailable
A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther
Author

Joan Wolf

Joan Wolf lives in Milford, Connecticut, with her husband and two children. In her spare time she rides her horse, walks her dog, and roots fanatically for the New York Yankees and UConn Huskies.

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Reviews for A Reluctant Queen

Rating: 4.363636363636363 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

88 ratings15 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The story of Esther from the Old Testament is of God using an unlikely avenue to work his will in the world. Very few women are actually named let alone play a part of God's plans. Esther, through her beauty and the love of a King, is instrumental in saving her people from annihilation at the hands of a rival faction.Joan Wolf fills in the basic story with historical and cultural details of the workings of the Persian Empire. The different races, religions and rivalries that made up that ancient kingdom. It tells even those familiar with the Old Testament tale many details not included due to the Jewish point of view it was written in.Her characters, as always, are believable and fully developed. She has a deft hand in making understandable the motivations of even the "villain" of the piece. Emotionally honest and beautifully written.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is an endearing love story of a young girl who unwillingly becomes a queen. It is written as a work of fiction, even though the story line is from the true story of Queen Esther in the book of Esther in the Bible. The author states at the end of the book, "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?" This was a very well written story, but I had a hard time distancing myself from the true story in the Bible. I kept thinking to myself that this or that didn't happen that way, or that the author left this out of the story, or I don't think it happened like that. It was not the author's problem, it was mine. She didn't try to stick to all the facts, she just wrote a love story and used the book of Esther as her seed from which the story grew. As long as you can read it as a purely fictional love story then you will enjoy this book a great deal.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I knew from the outset that this book was not going to be a retelling of the story of Esther using actual Biblical events, so the fact that a number of elements didn't follow the Bible's account of what happened didn't bother me. I also appreciated the fact that the author introduced it as a story being told in modern English, or that would have pulled me out of the story at times. I don't believe there was such a thing as Palestinian back in Esther's day. That's a more modern term. A few times the author switched point of view without warning, but I caught up quickly. I found her writing to be easy to follow, for the most part. Her characterization was definitely her greatest strength.Overall I really enjoyed the story. I found the motivation of each character to be believable even if it did not follow the way the Bible presents the story as it actually happened. The "love story" aspect of this novel was what intrigued me enough to want to read it. The fact that it was told with romantic themes made it that much more satisfying to me. The way that Esther did not want to be chosen and then found herself in that very situation was compelling. Then to discover she was attracted to him and actually liked him as a person made the love story that much more intriguing. I enjoyed experiencing their developing feelings along with them. I really liked the king and found him to be compassionate as well as heroic. Their passion for each other was palpable and very gratifying in a wholesome sort of way. Nothing was gratuitous and every love scene added to the story, in my opinion.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I wish I was Esther.Strong, beautiful, courageous, intelligent, and honest. Such great morality and character that I want to know more about the "real" Esther.I loved how this book flowed, and I read it pretty quick too, not just because of the great writing but also the fantastic story told.Even if you don't know about these biblical people, you can easily fall into the story.A definite book for my must-read list!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Queen Esther is a fictional account of the biblical story of Esther.The story of Esther is one of the few books in the bible that is about a woman. In A Reluctant Queen she is fifteen years old when she agrees to her Uncle Mordecai's scheme to win the ear of the Persian king, Ahasuerus, in order to secure the Jewish lands in Palestine.Esther is against the proposal, but enters the marriage contest that the King has decreed. All the beautiful woman are to come before him and he will judge who is most appropriate to become his new wife. Esther believes she will never be chosen, nor does she wish to be, and unhappily complies with all the primping and preening that occurs in order to properly attire herself to meet the King.On the day of her interview, Esther vows she will be an unwilling participant and by her actions, make the King wish to choose another. Esther didn't reckon on enjoying Ahasuerus' attention and personality. Growing up in a Jewish household, even though she is part Persian herself, Esther has come to believe that all Persian's are animals who are not to be trusted and when she finds herself liking the King, her life makes a turn in a direction she had hoped it never would.On that day that Esther takes her marriage vows, her life is irrevocably changed forever. Will she gain the trust of her husband and make amends for her people, in the name of God?? Or will her love for him keep her voice silent? As Esther comes to realize that their whole relationship is built on lies and that the King upholds the truth before any other moral tenet, she puts her faith in the hands of God and allows her destiny to flourish.As far as love stories go, I enjoyed this book. Esther was likeable in her innocence and naivety, although her age bothered me, she didn't come across as a mere fifteen year old girl, but someone older and wiser. I enjoyed reading her innermost thoughts about the patriarchal culture she lives in and her realization that woman were just tokens in a game, appalled and dismayed her and her religious belief system became rocky. I thought Joan Wolf captured that essence of woman remarkably and found it enlightening to read. King Ahasuerus was likeable also, his and Esther's romantic spark was a beautiful read. It had a touch of comedic appeal that was charming. I couldn't help but want these two together, without all the politics that lead them to each other involved, that is. The customs and practices of the different cultures was an interesting read, like how the King was able to divorce his first wife, I found that to be very clever.Though there are some truths inside the pages, for the most part, the story is a compilation of historical data with some fantasy thrown in. The fact that Xerxes and Ahasuerus were mayhaps the same person, works against having Xerxes as his brother in the novel, you have to keep to heart, that this is a work of fiction. Author Joan Wolf has taken a story, in which historical documentation is fleeting at best and incorporated another angle on the way things could have gone. From a romantic aspect, the book is a well-written, descriptive historical re-imaging of one woman's destiny as God's chosen instrument.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting but superficial story packed with feelings and "please god help" which made it too long and rambling for the interactions and subjects that were explored.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Wasn't a fan of this interpretation of the story. Lots of better interpretations of the story out there on this app.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have always loved the story of Queen Esther and I found this novel to be a true delight. The author honestly admits to changing aspects of the biblical tale but I thought she did a wonderful job. I couldn't put the book down even though I know the story so well. Not only was the romance touching but I liked that the concubines and eunuchs were treated like people, not sexual possessions or objects of derision. I admired how Esther treated them and made their lives better.The king, Ahasuerus, was extremely likeable. Not only was he a fair and honest monarch, but he adored his wife and always treated her with kindness and respect. Esther, of course, was not only beautiful but kind, courageous, intelligent and compassionate. I loved following her journey as she became queen.The rich historical background, the interesting characters and the flow of the story made "A Reluctant Queen" a very engaging and entertaining read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The story of Esther has always been one of my favorite stories in the Bible, because of what a strong woman she was. I always wished I could know more about Esther and was very excited when I saw this option on NetGalley. The story isn't a hundred percent accurate but what would be the fun in that anyway? Joan does a fabulous job crafting her own tale by pulling from the existing story and filling in the blanks. I especially love how important character motives were for the author. Every character you come across has motives for everything they do which really allows the characters to leap off of the pages and in the end you put down the book feeling as if you understand all sides of the presented situation.

    My one complaint is that the Esther Joan created didn’t strike me the same way as the Esther I had read about. The Esther I had known was always so courageous and strong with a zeal that couldn’t be beat. This Esther, while feeling more human, was awfully weak and fairly wishy-washy in her zeal. However, I did appreciate the way Joan painted Esther as a loving queen who was respected and adored by all she came in contact with.

    Overall, I am not disappointed by this novel. I left with warm fuzzies and I enjoyed the adventure. I would probably not read this again but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the story of Esther.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a good lightweight little story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "A Reluctant Queen, The Love Story of Esther", by Joan WolfThis book is a Christian Fictional story based upon The Book of Esther, from the Bible. It takes place during 485BC, in Susa, under the new leadership of the new King Ahasuerus, who spent his summers in Ecbattana where it was cooler, as Susa was so hot. Esther had been raised by her Uncle, Uncle Mordecai, after a massacre happened in her hometown of the land of Edomites, where they were then driven into exile in Babylon. During this invasion, both her parents were killed and Uncle Mordecai took her in as his own to raise her. Esther had been raised as a Jewish girl.There came a time when the Edomites sent a letter to the Great King asking him to confirm their rights to southern Judah. They got it, but, the Prophet,Obadiah were in a frenzy claiming Edomite stole southern Judah. Mordecai was worried about war breaking out and got an idea that if Esther got into the palace to represent the Jewish people, then she could be the one to help their people.Esther wasn't so sure about this plan. What about the boyfriend she had and was thinking of possibly marrying? Would he still be home waiting for her when she got back? Esther really didn't understand the role she would end up playing at the palace. What was her destiny meant to be? How could 'she' do anything that would help her people? The decision was made for her and she still couldn't quite understand why. She would be the one to go to the palace and take the chance of possibly marrying the King. She never thought it would happen to her. It would be one of the other girls. That's good, she thought, her father was not Jewish and this is how she would enter the palace, but would she even be accepted if the King knew her mother was Jewish? This fact would have to be kept secret. She got to the King's Harem and was greeted badly. Put down for how her hair and skin looked. Thus, started the beauty regime. Eventually the King does choose Esther as his Queen. She falls deeply in love with him, he deeply in love with her. She never tells him she is part Jewish until . . . this is when she finally understands why and what her role is to play as the Queen. Can't go on anymore because there will be to many spoilers! I think anyone who enjoys reading novels about the books of the Bible will enjoy this story very much and they will enjoy the story in historical detail.I really enjoyed this book a lot. I loved how the author turned this story into a book. I like it when the books of the Bible are turned into novels. It seems as if we can relate to them much better than reading the Book of the Bible by itself when it has been turned into a story that is much more easily understood. It certainly adds to the stories.This author took great care in writing this story to make sure the history and everything related exactly as it did in the Bible at that time. The last time I read a book like this that related to a book of the Bible was "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, which turned out to be one of my favorite books. This book is also similar to "Hadassah, One Night with the King, A Novel" by Tommy Tenney.Personally, I really like the Books of the Bible turned into novels a lot. I love how the research is done to a "T", and how we can relate to the Bible story even better than what we can when it is woven into a story rather than just by reading the book of the Bible. I enjoy these novels very much when they are put into the perspective of their every day life back then. For us today, it is hard to read the books of the Bible when we don't understand the daily, routine life they had back then. It's wonderful when an author such as Joan Wolf comes along and puts these stories into novels that we can understand when they are so detailed such as this one it. I would read this book again, I enjoyed it so much. I give this book a 4.5 star.This book was provided to me for free by LitFuse Publicity Group in exchange for a review! Thanks to them for the opportunity!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I’ve always been fascinated by the Biblical story of Esther, how an ordinary girl could rise up to become queen of Persia and save her people from genocide. While A Reluctant Queen mirrors the main highlights from the Biblical account, it is important to point out that this book is VERY loosely based on the biblical book of Esther.In order to properly enjoy and review this book, I decided not to compare it to the real story in the Bible. Standing on its own, A Reluctant Queen is very romantic, hopeful and filled with political intrigue.Esther is a beautiful girl of mixed heritage (her mother was Jewish while her father was Persian) living in Susa with her uncle Mordecai. Fearing a plot to annihilate the Jewish people, Esther, at the request of Mordecai and other Jewish leaders, goes undercover into the King of Persia’s harem and competes with other girls to become his wife. Young and scared, Esther never expects to actually like the handsome King Ahasuerus and is even more shocked when he chooses her to be his queen after only meeting her once. Ahasuerus is gorgeous, smart, kind, noble and completely swoon worthy. In other words, he is a perfect leading man. What starts out as a physical attraction grows into an awesome love between these two. The characters are very well rounded, especially Esther and Haman (the villain of the story). I loved getting to know Esther and seeing how she worked through her fears to get to the point of knowing that she was going to save her people or die trying. The political storyline in the book is very interesting as well.I liked A Reluctant Queen and I think readers who like Christian fiction and romance would enjoy it as well. Just keep in mind that it is a retelling and there are significant differences between the historical account of Queen Esther and this book. Content: Kissing, drinking, some violence and implied sex but nothing even remotely graphic. My Rating: Really Good!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Book of Esther is one of my favorite Bible stories from childhood because I had been enamored by a lovely illustrated version (at least, that’s what I remember, although I do not recall the title). Among all the patriarchs and strong male figures of the Bible, it is great to see the few women like Esther as role models of strength and bravery. While her story focuses more on finding the courage to express her faith, I have always viewed the Book of Esther as a beautiful love story.A Reluctant Queen definitely brings the romance to life between Esther and the Great King of Persia without losing the main Biblical message. I loved how the Great King was portrayed – how decent and intelligent he was! Not to mention his good humor, especially when Esther forgot that he was King and spoke her mind freely. The greatest moments are when the King teases Esther for getting embarrassed by what she says without thinking. Their relationship started on barely nothing except a royal whim, but it blossomed – how it blossomed! – into something that made me dance with delight!The only part I had trouble with was how Haman turned into the villain. In the original story, he is the one who is hell-bent on getting rid of all Jews and tries to utilize his trusted position with the King to do so. He focuses most of his anger toward Esther’s uncle Mordecai. He seemed truly the villain! In A Reluctant Queen, Haman holds such a close, intimate friendship with the King. To watch him get that wrapped up in his personal issues and forget to protect his friend makes it seem like he became possessed by the Devil. I cannot fathom how blinded by jealousy Haman became in the end! It seemed a little random given how devoted he had been to the King’s well-being – which I suppose that was how the King and Esther felt when they discovered his betrayal!Joan Wolf created such a richly-detailed retelling that will surely captivate anyone who loves a good, tasteful romance! There is no better place to learn about Esther’s story than A Reluctant Queen – I guarantee that you will fall in love with Esther and her people!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Reluctant Queen The love story of EstherJoan WolfThe book of Esther in the Bible has always been a book I longed for more of.. more detail, more insight into the times, more depth to the story. Joan Wolf has taken the book of Esther, created a scene rich in history and added dynamic characters to satisfy our imaginations as readers. Esther had a Jewish mother and a Persian father. Dad was killed early in Esther’s life, leaving Mom and Esther living with Uncle Mordecai until Mom’s death. Uncle Mordecai and Esther lived together for many years to come.Uncle Mordecai, years later has a dream that “the whole of the Jewish race was doomed to destruction”. The Jews need to have someone on the inside to catch the King’s ear. Uncle Mordecai requests of Esther that she enter the competition to become Queen, which the King began when he ousted his last king Vashti for her insubordination. Esther would use her lineage through her Persian father and disregard her Jewish heritage for the time being. After much prepping and time, Esther of course is chosen by the King Ahasuerus, following the Biblical account. Esther though finds herself falling in love with the King, and he with her.. ahh, the love story component. The life of a Queen is detailed so exquisitely that I could imagine the Queen’s chambers, her beauty, and her love for the King. The historical places and descriptions brought to life the Biblical Esther in a beautiful novel.I appreciated the authors note on how she came to write this love story. “To turn the book of Esther into a novel, I had to give the characters humanly understandable reasons for acting as they did”. Joan Wolf also writes “Where the bible story and novel come together is the underlying premise, God has a plan for the world, and He works His plan through the action of humans. The big question is, will we allow God to work through us?”I received a free copy of A Reluctant Queen from Litfuse Group to review
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although this story is based on the Biblical account of Esther, the author took some fictional liberties in order to make this a love story. Since the Biblical account is firmly fixed in my mind, I didn’t mind reading this fictionalized version. Often, we don’t think of people from Bible times as people. They are lessons from which we learn Biblical truths and principles. But the truth is, they were real people with emotions just like ours. I doubt if it played out anything like this book details, but I am certain many of the emotions given to Esther by the author were true. In this book, Joan Wolf personifies Esther as a young Jewish girl living in Susa during the Persian rule. Joan’s historical information enriches the characters and gives a tremendous setting to the story. Additional characters such as Esther’s handmaid and eunuch guard also bring the story to life. What I appreciated was the emotional journey of Esther. Joan shows the doubts and fear Esther may have felt as she entered the competition to be queen. The fictional love story is a beautiful example of God's love for His children.This is an enjoyable read. I look forward to more from this author. This book was provided to me by LitFuse for review and blog tour. I am not required to write a positive review.