Beautiful, lyrical story: "Jerusalem's Queen: A Novel of Salome Alexandra" by Angela Hunt

about the book....

Born in the small village of Modein, a town made famous by the warrior Maccabees, Salome Alexandra knows better than to harbor grand dreams for her future. She pales in comparison to her beautiful older sister, and though she learns to read at an early age, girls are not valued for their intellectual ability. But when her father and sister are killed, John Hyrcanus, a distant relative, invites Salome and her mother to live with his family in Jerusalem, where her thirst for knowledge is noticed and indulged.

When her guardian betroths her to a pagan prince, she questions HaShem's plan. When Hyrcanus finally marries her to a boy half her age, she questions her guardian's sanity. But though Salome spends much of her life as a pawn ordered about by powerful men, she learns that a woman committed to HaShem can change the world.

my review....

Bringing to life a piece of history that I have never before heard of, "Jerusalem's Queen: A novel of Salome Alexandra" is truly a stunning story. Angela Hunt has reached into the past and pieced together the life of a woman who was utterly remarkable, a character that I soon grew to admire as I watched her transform from a child into a strong woman of God who accepted God's sovereign plan for her life and changed the world as a result. The way that Hunt alternated view points between Salome and her life-long slave Kissa was cleverly done and added a unique perspective to the story.

I would guess that, like me, many readers will be unaware that before Israel became a province of Rome, it was ruled by a Queen. That remarkable fact makes this story all the more special, offering a glimpse into the period of time just before Jesus' arrival and giving me a fresh appreciation for the world that Jesus was born into. It is truly fascinating how God moves and work and brings about his plans for our lives, plans that we may not even realize hold such importance until we can look back after the fact and see all that he has accomplished. I was inspired by the reminder of how even in the midst of trials, he can be preparing us for a purpose that only he knows of, one that can be completely unexpected.

What else can I say? The story of Jerusalem's Queen is an amazing one, a novel that will undoubtedly captivate you as much as it did me. It is incredibly well-written, a beautiful and lyrical tale that brings history to life, and I can say that Angela Hunt has once again crafted a novel that has earned a permanent place on my shelves. 5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

about the author....

The author of more than 100 published books and with more than 5 million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the New York Times bestselling author of The Note, The Nativity Story, and Esther: Royal Beauty. Romantic Times Book Club presented Angela with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. In 2008, Angela completed her PhD in Biblical Studies in Theology. She and her husband live in Florida with their mastiffs. She can be found online at www.angelahuntbooks.com.

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