Esther: The Belle of Patience

Esther: The Belle of Patience is the most recent book in The Adventures of Rooney Cruz. Bible Belles highlights five "superhero" women of the Bible: Hannah, Esther, Abigail, Ruth, and Deborah. Each of these women has a super power to they use to serve God and this series highlights that to teach young girls a valuable lesson. 

Rooney's guardian angel, Mari, takes her on an adventure to learn about each of these women and helps her to own their superpower for her own transformation into a superhero. These adventures also help Rooney learn more about God's love for her and that he has gifts that give her inner beauty and strength to be equipped in her life in resolving problems and making a difference that counts. Book 1 was Hannah: The Belle of Prayer, and future books will teach on Bravery, Loyalty, and Leadership. Created by Erin Weidemann and illustrated by former Disney illustrator, Rob Corley.

My Review: First off, I was a bit hesitant when I was reading guardian angel and super powers, but that was gone within seconds of getting into the book. These are stories about women in the Bible who have modeled character traits that are invaluable. Women in the Bible rarely receive as much attention as the men and girls do need role models they can look up to as they are developing their faith and character. I hope they expand beyond the original five planned for this series.

In this particular book, the story of Esther is retold in a simple tale that is easy for children to understand, but with an emphasis on the patience of Esther as she took time to fast and pray for the right time to approach the king and to present her request. The Biblical story is then applied to the problem that Rooney is facing with a soccer teammate and her coach who never seems to be listening when she tries to point it out to him. I had never really looked at Esther as a lesson in patience (admittedly, not one of my virtues), so it made me look at it from a different angle too. The writing is great and the illustrations are fantastic! I highly recommend, not just this particular book, but the entire series. Since this is just book 2, looks like I will need to practice patience as I wait for the rest of the series. Visit the website at BibleBelles.com

Many thanks to Propeller Consulting and FlyBy Promotions for the opportunity to review this book at no cost to myself. All opinions are my own.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Esther Queen of Persia by Jim Baumgardner

Hadassah, the beautiful, Jewish teenager from the city of Susa in Persia, is taken by force to the palace of King Ahasuerus. His command to find the most beautiful virgins in his kingdom, and bring them to the house of women, has placed Hadassah under the supervision of Hegai, the king's custodian of women. Hegai and his servants, have one year to prepare each virgin for one night with the king. Although Hadassah was taken from her home by force, she refuses to become bitter. She accepts being called Esther, but inside remains always, Hadassah. She continually wonders why she is there, yet remains faithful to her God, and to her identity. It is years before the answer is revealed. Her people face annihilation, and it falls upon her shoulders to stop it. Her first thought is to shirk her duty, but Mordecai, her cousin, will not allow it. His words, '"Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"' brings her to her senses.

Unlike many of the novels written about Esther, this book seeks to remain true to the Biblical account, while supplying additional historical information from the time period 486-473 B.C. The book has a five page Introduction, which gives insight into some of the things found in the story. It has a page, listing the months of the Jewish sacred calendar and the corresponding month of our modern calendar. Also in the back of the book is a listing of Scriptures mentioned in each chapter, along with a listing of works consulted in research for Esther Queen of Persia.  (info furnished  by author)

My Review: This book is one of the best ones I have read on the Biblical story of Esther. I often have mixed feelings when reading historical fiction, especially stories from the Bible, since too much leeway is often given. I felt like Baumgardner kept the story placed in the time frame in which it occurred rather than trying to portray the people in a manner that is more palatable to 21st century thinking. I also loved all of the historical research that went into the story to give it a richer understanding of what was happening at the time. I have never been as intrigued by the story of Esther as many seem to be, but Baumgardner breathed a new life into the story and caused these characters to become more real to me. It made a tremendous difference to know what was going on in the world at the time and the impact it had on the featured characters. The book also kept my attention and I looked forward to reading it. I admit that the cover did not make it appealing (although the model for Esther is beautiful), but in many ways it did sum up the simplistic beauty that is Esther. I will recommend  Esther Queen of Persia: A Courageous Woman for a Dangerous Time to others who enjoy Christian historical fiction.

 
 Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

 Author Bio: Born in Wichita, Kansas, Jim Baumgardner, raised by Christian parents, gave his life to Christ in 1957. The author continues to reside in Wichita with his wife Linda. They have three children and nine grandchildren. Jim has seven published books. Four are known as the Sarah books, which tell of the adventures of a girl named Sarah, set in the 19thCentury. The other three are Bible novels, including the author’s latest release Esther Queen of Persia. All of Jim’s books are primarily written for his grandchildren’s benefit.

Key Links to Use and Connect:

http://www.biblenovels.net/
http://kansasjimbo.bravejournal.com/
http://www.sarahbooks.net/

You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google +,Goordreads and Author Central.