Hadassah Kesselman is caught in a whirlwind of preparation for the most important day of her life: her wedding day. In the midst of the tumult, her father takes her aside to participate in an old family ritual, the passing down of an ancient letter penned by Queen Esther of old. As Hadassah reads the letter, we are transported to Ancient Persia to the story of another Hadassah, later known as Star and then Esther the Queen. Raised by her cousin Mordecai, Hadassah is sheltered from the world outside, but when the king issues an edict for the most beautiful virgins in the land to be assembled, even Mordecai, could do nothing to save her. When the timid, socially-depraved girl is suddenly thrust into the midst of treacherous palace politics and intrigue, she begins to shine. Hadassah, called Star to cover her identity as a Jew, sets her mind on others and their needs rather than selfishly indulging in the palace luxury. She makes friends with the other girls and, in preparation for her night with the King, gives herself over to the study of his personality, his preferences, and his practices. In doing so, she finds herself falling in love with him. Queen Esther's story is painted with beautiful imagery and exquisite attention to detail. The horror of her parents' murder and subsequent fear that she lives with even in her cousin's household are palpable and convincing. The rich grandeur and ornate immensity of the Persian palace makes even the reader feel almost insignificant. Esther's well-known bravery and heroic boldness are merely natural extensions of excellent character development by the author. Tenney did an excellent job of building a believable motive behind Haman's relentlessly wicked plot. This is an excellent piece of fiction that does justice to the Biblical text. I very much enjoyed this novel and recommend it without reservation. Esther's single-minded attention to the King and her understanding that It's not about you, it’s about the King is, by extension, a refreshing reminder that our Christian life is not about what we can get from God, but who He is and what He has done. It's not about us, it’s about Him...an important reminder for American Christendom.