Jerusalem's Queen

Author: Angela Hunt
Genre: Biblical Fiction

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.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

Can you ever really go wrong with an Angela Hunt book? This third book in The Silent Years series does not disappoint and if you haven't read the previous books, don't worry. This can be interpreted as a standalone book.

The story focuses on Salome Alexandra and is told in her voice and the voice of her servant Kissa, switching back and forth between chapters for different perspectives on the events happening to them. I loved how each character supported the other, and even though Kissa was technically Salome's slave, their relationship with each other was more sisterly than anything else.

When Salome's father and older sister die, they are rescued from poverty by their relative John Hyrcanus, the high priest of Jerusalem. He soon realizes the thirst for knowledge Salome has and encourages her to study the Torah and gets her a tutor in other areas as well.

As the story progresses, Salome grows in her knowledge of the Torah and vows to live a righteous life. While many events in her life have her questioning her uncle's motives and wondering what the Lord was doing, she remained obedient and committed to God, trusting that He has everything in control and that nothing happening to her is going unnoticed by Him. I loved this about her.

I was most surprised that this story was based on a real person and that Jerusalem did have a queen. I did not know this at all which made the book all the more interesting.

If you love Biblical Fiction, you must get this book. I highly recommend it!

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