The Bible record of Esther, Queen of Persia, is full of drama. The Persian Empire was vast, extending from Egypt and Anatolia (Turkey) to the border of India. Esther ascended to royalty in an unusual way. A familial Bible quote is: And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14b
Tessa Afshar has written a historical novel, The Queen’s Cook, about Esther and her court. The story takes us to the city of Susa during the time period of the King’s edict to destroy the Jews. Haman wrote the edict and with deceit persuaded the King to make it official. The edict gave permission to slay all the Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month.
The main character (fictional) is Roxannah. She is a young Persian woman who is promoted from kitchen maid to cook. She takes charge of Queen Esther’s kitchen. I enjoyed seeing the transformation of this character from fearful to courageous.
I also liked having a peek into what the Persian kitchen might have been like. The author provides possible menus.
I suggest first reading the book of Esther in the Bible—it’s short. Then enjoy The Queen’s Cook.
Marie Benedict’s novel is about a different type of queen in The Queens of Crime. After research into Dorothy Sayer’s life, she has written a story about women mystery writers.
Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie and three other crime writers form a team to solve a mystery. A young woman, a nurse, disappeared in Boulogne, France. The nurse had gone on a day trip to this coastal town and then disappeared without a trace.
The five queens of crime use their puzzle solving skills to find out what really happened. As the story progresses, the reader learns that Dorothy had a son and a measure of heartache.
