Interactive Historical Fiction e-books
Behold Your Queen by Gladys Malvern
It is the ancient days of the Persian Empire. Hadassah was content in her quiet life in the Jewish quarter of the city of Babylon with her uncle Mordecai, who had raised her from childhood. But she was old enough to be married, and yet her uncle hadn't arranged a marriage for her. Meanwhile in Shushan, King Ahasuerus' marriage to the vain and selfish Vashti has ended, and a new wife must be found. Why not bring to him the most beautiful women of the kingdom, and let him choose? And so the loveliest young women of the empire are selected in local contests, and Hadassah is among those chosen to go to Shushan to meet the King. But as a Jewess in a foreign land with powerful enemies to her faith, she must conceal her true identity and take the Babylonian name of Esther. Will she find love with a man she has never met? And can she survive in a strict royal court controlled by the evil prime minister Haman, who wants to destroy her people?
For readers age 11 and older.
“A colorful and extravagant presentation of the Bible story of Esther, by the author of Ann of Old New York and Eric’s Girls. Although necessarily imposing modern character appraisals and a few sentimental reflections upon the dramatis personae the author has missed none of the turbulent drama in the story of a great queen who saved her people from annihilation, and has added some minor climaxes of her own. From the moment when Hadassah, a Jewish girl from Babylon, is chosen to be a candidate for marriage to the Persian king, Ahasuerus; through the marriage, elegant seclusion as queen, conspiracies, and first knowledge of the plans of vicious Prime Minister Haman to massacre the Jews; to the feast given by Esther (as she is now known) to expose Haman and save her people, there are no lulls, no relaxing of tension. There are to be sure, some overripe passages in which full advantage is taken of the voluptuous Mediterranean background, but this is on the whole, fine story-telling.”
