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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

How Does Hadassah Compare to the Real Story of Esther?

by Chautona Havig · 9 Comments

Hadassah--otherwise known as Queen Esther. What do we really know about her and the culture she lived in and how did that affect this retelling? via @chautonahavig

Am I the only one who associates certain things with places? Dunkin Donuts with Arizona, orange juice with Noel, Missouri, a mustard/gold sweater with Landers. Don’t ask. Some associations should be relegated to desert sands and wind… like that sweater.

I do it with Bible stories, too. Moses and the burning bush—Grandma’s Baptist church in Phoenix. Joseph’s many-colored coat? Uncle Gene’s farm in Marlow, Oklahoma. I can go through almost every story in any Bible Storybook and tell you where I first learned it.

Except Esther. All I can say is that when I took Old Testament Survey in High School, I already knew it. Don’t ask how. Can’t tell you.

It never was a favorite. Aside from the achingly beautiful and heroic words, “And if I perish, I perish,” it never did much for me. Spend a year on beauty treatments so I can be dropped into some dumb king’s harem? I don’t think so. Seriously, I’d have been the one looking for things to make me look as awful as possible so I could be sent home or killed. Either would have been preferable in my eyes.

Yeah, I was that kid.

Still, you couldn’t have those beautiful words, “If I perish, I perish” without Esther going along and being wise and all those good, godly traits that I clearly didn’t have. So, I give her props for that.

How Does Hadassah Compare to the Real Story of Esther?

Note: links are affiliate links and likely provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Additionally, I requested and was provided a free review copy. Opinions were not influenced by this.

How Does Hadassah Compare to the Real Story of Esther?

When we think of Esther and her story, we think of her being forced to marry a king, and by doing so, she’s in a position to save her people.

So, I was surprised to discover that the book is more of a fictional memoir for “Hadassah” than it appeared in the synopsis. It begins at a very young age (under eight for sure) and ends with her burial. In the middle years, we’re given the story we know best but it’s not the primary story. I’ve seen this in another of the author’s books, so it might be something to note in the future.

Being fiction, I can’t complain so much about how she portrayed each person. Nothing the author did was in stark opposition to how the Bible portrays the individuals, but the only characters who interested me at all were Mordecai and Xerxes’ mother.

Esther was more of a Persian version of Elsie Dinsmore than a heroic queen who saved her people, and Xerxes felt like a Ken doll stand-in.

That wasn’t it, though.

The sensuality combined with historical and customary info-dumping became really difficult to read when I didn’t really care about the characters. Add to that a plot that I know well and yet didn’t engage me, and I was left unsatisfied and disappointed.

This was the second book I’ve read (or attempted to read) by this author, and I think it’ll be my last for a while. Unfortunately, mostly clean writing and editing (I got an ARC so there’s a good chance the few typos and errors that jumped out at me have been corrected) don’t make up for a book that just didn’t deliver.

Still, there are strengths to Hadassah.

People who love Biblical fiction and/or the story of Esther should probably read the “Look Inside” portion of the book on Amazon and see if they think they’d enjoy it. It might just be me. Furthermore, while the book was really sensual in places (for obvious reasons, of course), it was clean and in that regard, I believe historically and culturally accurate.

While I’m not sorry I requested and received a free review copy of the book, I am sorry I can’t sing its praises. I hope it’s just me.

I have enjoyed other Biblical fiction, though, so…

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Comments

  1. Dianna says

    July 18, 2019 at 11:05 pm

    I definitely connect things with places. My sister-in-law says that every time she goes to any church ( a couple of times per year ) the preacher always talks about the prodigal son. It’s kind of a funny joke now.

    Reply
  2. Joy @ Real World Bible Study says

    July 17, 2019 at 6:28 pm

    I am always a little afraid I’m going to be disappointed with “biblical fiction.” So far, I’ve only read one book in this genre that I just absolutely loved.

    Reply
  3. Aryn The Libraryan ? says

    July 17, 2019 at 5:49 am

    And yet, I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s not a perfect story, but I found Esther relatable and real. But then, I own almost the entire Elsie Dinsmore series (whom I admire even if it wasn’t necessarily believable).

    Xerxes wasn’t necessarily as nasty as he could have been, but he was as capricious as expected. And that was sufficient.

    I enjoyed Mordecai, Xerxes’ mother and thought Haman was well done also.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      July 17, 2019 at 7:24 am

      I own all the Elsies and Mildreds as well. But where people often see Elsie as “perfect,” I considered her a rather manipulative thing who threw temper tantrums with tears disguised as “penitence.” Ahem.

      That’s my objection to this Esther. She seems contrived as perfect, but we don’t see who she really is under it… it just never went deep enough to really see her.

      And I thought Haman was weak. LOL. I really felt like Mr. Lunt from Veggie Tales made a more imposing and terrifying Haman. *gulp*

      But then, Biblical fiction isn’t my favorite. I keep trying, though. I’m convinced that I can and will learn to love it if I find the right author. I did love Connilyn Cossette.

      Reply
  4. Amelia says

    July 16, 2019 at 12:18 pm

    Thanks for the review!

    Reply
  5. Lila Diller says

    July 16, 2019 at 5:55 am

    Just to let you know, it wasn’t just you. I also was very disappointed in Hadassah, as I said in my review on the Creating Romance blog. It’s too bad, so much potential.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Who Was Hadassah? 6 Noble Characteristics Worth Sharing • Aryn the Libraryan says:
    July 19, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    […] Just the Write Escape, July 16 […]

    Reply
  2. Hadassah by Diane Wallis Tayler with a giveaway | bigreadersite's Blog says:
    July 18, 2019 at 10:14 am

    […] Just the Write Escape, July 16 […]

    Reply
  3. Hadassah – Library Lady's Kid Lit says:
    July 17, 2019 at 7:02 am

    […] Just the Write Escape, July 16 […]

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
byChautona Havig

To Love a Viking by Heather Day Gilbert and Jen Cudmore has been released, and I got to chat with them about it last week. Guys, this series!  If the Christian influence on Viking history isn’t enough, what about adventure, fight scenes, and romance that won’t make you blush? How about that a damsel is in distress and… gets rescued by another woman instead of the stereotypical DUDE! Listen in!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Are You Ready for an Exciting New Viking Series from 2 Great Authors?

 

One of the biggest surprises I recall from researching books by different authors was that the cozy mystery and suspense author I liked and respected, Heather Day Gilbert, had also written historical Viking books! I made the erroneous assumption that they were romance and skipped them (for the time being… I knew I’d read them some day), and then something happened.

A few months ago, I saw this cover.  With Heather’s name on it.  And some other gal I hadn’t heard of–Jen Cudmore.  What is this deliciousness?  The cover was AMAZING… not stereotypical nor was it inauthentic.  It was just GOOD (not to mention gorgeous) and with the Celtic frame (the Vikings did go over to Scotland/Ireland after all), I just felt like it hit all the sweet spots.

Well… the book is here, folks.  And I’ve got a copy in my hot little hands.  No, really. It’s July. And I live in the desert.  My hands are totally hot and in totally all the wrong ways. Just throwin’ that out there.

Anyway, Heather and Jen chatted with me about To Love a Viking, and oh my!  This book sounds fabulous. We know Viking women were strong. Even those that weren’t warriors had to survive Nordic winters. Ergo, strong.  But what about strong enough to build a new society with people they’d once fought against. Oh, and rescue a damsel in distress #BecauseYeah!

I’m ready to dive in to To Love a Viking myself, and I hope you’ll grab a copy, too. It promises to be incredible.

To Love a Viking by Heather Day Gilbert and Jen Cudmore

Get swept up in an enthralling new romance series featuring women who rule the hearts of Viking men.

ELLISIF Forced into a financially advantageous marriage that spirals into a nightmare, Ellisif cannot help but imagine what might have been and ache for what was lost. The only lights in her life are her daughters and the friendships she’s forged with the household servants.

Though seven years have passed since Ellisif wed another man, Dagar still cannot forget the woman who captured his youthful heart. As the Viking warrior battles for his country’s future, he finds himself entangled in a personal war for Ellisif’s freedom that could cost his family their reputation and standing with the king. If he risks all, can he save the woman whose face still haunts his dreams? And if given another chance, will she choose him?

INARA Escaped slave Inara is determined to start a new life. Under the guidance of warrior and shipbuilder Håkon, her sword skill grows, as does her confidence that the Viking men will accept her as a warrior in her own right.

When she is selected to lead a perilous rescue mission to protect Ellisif, Inara finds herself blindsided by feelings for Håkon…and by threats to her freedom far closer than she feared. As dreams and desires collide, she wrestles against the lies holding her captive. Can she conquer her doubts before all that she’s hoped for slips from her hands?

Written by award-winning historical author Heather Day Gilbert and fresh voice Jen Cudmore, two love stories entwine in this sweeping Viking-era romance, the first novel in the Tavland Vikings series.

You can find out more about the series and the authors on Heather’s WEBSITE.

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Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
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Episode 151: A Chat with Christian Romance Author, Carrie Padgett
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