Such a Time as This - Rebecca Velez

[goodreads]

Title: Such a Time as This Author: Rebecca Velez Genre: Historical fiction, Christian fiction Rating: 10/10 # pages: 149 Date read: January, 2008

Review: Such a Time as This is based on the Biblical book of Esther. The Book of Esther has always been one of my favourites, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read this novel and had great hopes for it. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint.

In Such a Time as This the Jewess Esther is kidnapped by palace guards while she's at the marked, shopping for her sick grandmother. The Persian king has just discharged his queen in disgrace, and all the beautiful girls of the city are rounded up and brought to the castle to join the king's harem and compete for the position as a possible replacement.

By the grace of God Esther is chosen as the new queen, placing her in a position to fulfill God's plans for her life and intercede for the Jews when a malicious assistant to the king sends out a decree to kill all Jews.

Such a Time as This is a fascinating retelling of a well-known story that brings the characters of the Book of Esther to life as never before. It is written in a way that is accessible and easy to understand even for people not familiar with the Biblical tale.

According to the author, Rebecca Velez is currently working on a sequel to Such a Time as This, and although it will obviously be based on free speculation rather than a true story, I am already looking forward to reading more of her work.

Book List