Review of “Hadassah” by Diana Wallis Taylor; A “Celebrate Lit” tour blog

About the Book

Book: Hadassah

Author: Diana Wallis Taylor

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: July 2, 2019

One of the great heroines of the Old Testament, Hadassah was a beautiful, graceful young woman who put her faith in God and her guardian, her cousin Mordecai.

She dreams of marrying Shamir, a tall, handsome, studious young man who is the rabbi’s son. Her heart beats faster when she hears the sound of his deep voice as he reads the Torah. And she hopes that he will visit Mordecai soon to present a betrothal request.

Then, an upheaval in King Xerxes’s palace changes everything. Queen Vashti has been banished and an edict goes out for all qualified young virgins throughout the empire to be taken to the palace as he searches for a new queen.

Fear strikes in the hearts of many, including Mordecai, as he realizes Hadassah will be taken. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. Since he works as a record-keeper at the king’s gates, he can keep tabs on how she is doing.

Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia imagines what life was like for the woman who saved her people—and perhaps found love in the process.

My Review:

I’ve read several Christian historical novels on the life of Esther, and this book by Diana Wallis Taylor is one of the best that I’ve read. I felt that she got the balance just right. She had historical research that kept the story details in the correct time period; and she made the story reflect Esther as a godly Jewish young woman. Once I started reading this book, I could not read fast enough. I very much appreciate that the author kept this book anchored to the Biblical account of Esther.

I had not given much thought to Esther’s life as an orphan and her relationship to Mordecai, and I loved the family background that the author gave Esther with Mordecai and his wife. This part of the story showed how Esther could have developed her strong character as she grew up in Mordecai’s home.

I felt sorrow for the Jewish young women who were forced to go to the palace and be presented to the king as a potential bride. Their lives after their night with the king could not be lived according to their Jewish faith. The author does not sensationalize this part of the story between Esther and the king, but shows how the king loved and delighted in her.

I also have a better grasp on the highly-charged political times in which Esther lived. There was much political intrigue, and Esther had to be circumspect as she lived her life in the palace. Her marriage to such an emotionally unstable monarch was never easy. Even though I knew how the story would turn out, I was almost holding my breath as Queen Esther approached the king in his throne room.

This book honors God and the way He used Esther to save His people. It helped me realize, once again, that God has placed each of us in our unique place to further His kingdom.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Diana Wallis Taylor was first published at the age of twelve, when she sold a poem to a church newsletter. After receiving her B.A. in Elementary Education at San Diego State University, she was an elementary school teacher for twenty-two years. Diana has also sold real estate, opened two coffeehouse/used book stores, and was a conference director for a private Christian college.

She has an extensive portfolio of published works, including a collection of poetry; an Easter cantata, written with a musical collaborator; contributions to various magazines and compilations; and several books, including Lydia, Woman of Philippi; Mary, Chosen of God; Ruth, Mother of Kings; and Halloween: Harmless Fun or Risky Business?

Learn more at www.dianawallistaylor.com.

To celebrate her tour, Diana is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbucks card and a surprise book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/e5a0/hadassah-celebration-tour-giveaway

Read an Excerpt

Besides the usual vendors, there were strange, sweaty men with beady eyes who were looking to get rich from the additional population.

In the wee hours of the morning, while Mordecai sat with his head in his hands, silently praying, Jerusha stopped breathing, slipping away so quietly that Hadassah thought she was still sleeping.

One day, to the people’s relief, the news was spread that the unwelcome banquet guests had been ordered back to their provinces—to prepare for war.

Instead of bowing, Hadassah smiled unabashedly and gazed directly at the king, who at that moment had turned his head.

“Do not give your name as Hadassah, but tell them it is Esther, which is a Persian name. I would have you hide your Jewish heritage for now.”

She felt their eyes silently appraising her; some with open interest, some with sympathy, and others with calculating shrewdness.

Esther asked each maid gentle, innocuous questions about her homeland, favorite foods, culture, and the like, listening attentively to their answers and making sure to speak to them by name both to let them know they were important to her and also to help her remember who was who.

“If you maidens help me to be my very best when I am called to the king’s chambers, if he honors me by selecting me as his queen, I will not forget you, who helped to put the crown on my head.”

Esther had seen some of the women pass her quarters so laden with jewelry they could hardly walk. She wanted to laugh out loud, but suppressed even a smile.

Recognition came. “Ah, the maiden in the crowd. I thought about you many times.” He moved closer. “I remember your hair, like a cloud around your face.”

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