Powerful Biblical Fiction with a New Look

Against a vividly painted historical backdrop, bestselling author Tommy Tenney breathes life into the incredible story of Hadassah, a simple peasant girl who is chosen over 127 other young women to become Esther, queen of Persia. Was it her beauty alone, or did she know an important and mysterious truth?

Tenney takes readers to pre-Islamic Persia to uncover the secrets that helped Esther win the heart and gain the ear of the king, and ultimately to save her people. Interwoven in this gripping drama are extraordinary new insights into the Book of Esther, its purpose and message.

From Publishers Weekly

Despite a few glitches, there is much to like about this coauthored novel from Tenney, best known for his nonfiction book The God Chasers, and Olsen, a writer whose work includes screenplays. Esther, queen of Persia, who inspired the eponymous book of the Bible, is a fascinating character whose story lends itself well to a fictional retelling. The novel opens as a contemporary woman named Hadassah receives a letter penned by Esther (also called "Hadassah" and "Star" in the novel) and passed down through her family for generations. The reading of the letter transports the reader back to the Persian Empire (a similar device is used in Bodie and Brock Thoene's Zion Legacy series). Several time periods and points of view make for a slow start, but the pacing picks up when Esther becomes the focus. The dialogue is stiff in places, and some readers will find the use of "G-d" rather than "God" out of reverence rather tiresome. However, from their imaginative fleshing out of Esther's unusual girlhood and preparation for her tryst with the king to the uttering of her famous words, "If I perish, I perish," the authors reinvigorate an age-old story. The sexual tension and violence necessary to the tale are rendered inoffensive for the evangelical Christian market, and a few surprise twists will catch readers familiar with the story off-balance. CBA readers should enjoy this account of one of the Bible's most courageous heroines.
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Review

"Exciting and insightful, Hadassah is more than the retelling of a Bible story. It is a genuine romance novel." -- In the Library Reviews

"dazzling skill with character brings the story to life. historical details are amazing. Esther's character echoes into the modern day." -- Rambles.net