Skip to main content

The Book of Esther by Emily Barton







The Book of Esther by Emily Barton

Set in Eastern Europe in 1942, in a small of nation of warrior Turkic Jews, Emily Barton has given us a novel that brings together historical vision, well-developed characters, and a plotline that moves along steadily.  The main character, Esther, is a conglomeration of wisdom, shrewdness, and prophet, seeing the way in which events will soon turn out ahead of time.  The women in the community forge traditional older ways of living with an eye towards mercy, helping those refugees who flee into the land with knitted hats, scarfs, and other wearable items. 

One of the beautiful ways that Barton develops and brings out the character of Esther is through the combination of her received religious tradition and her experience of life as she leaves her father Josephus.  Barton writes, “For three years, Esther, a legal adult had fasted on Yom Kippur, but that was different: spiritual in nature but for a purpose.  And on the Day of Atonement all one did was pray and fast.  Today, they’d ridden like Mongol warriors since dawn.  Her back hurt, her legs thrummed…Her body needed food (46).”  There is a memory of fasting and hunger but this was for a spiritual and religious purpose, and yet, her hunger on this road to war was also for a purpose, one which she didn’t presently fully understand.

Another aspect that caught my attention in the story was Seleme, the mechanical horse that ran on a 150cc engine.  Barton keenly describes the horse as having much the characteristics of a fighting bull, “Seleme had been designed for war: to charge, to do battle, to retreat when necessary.  All of her sensory apparatus now engaged.  Her ears swiveled to the sides,…(70).”  Esther quickly finds out that her father’s use of available fuel and mechanic’s work on Seleme was something she did not possess, but learned how to find the right fuel.  In the desire to save Khazaria, Esther found a friend in her battle ready mechanical horse, Seleme, even surprising many on her journey, even the ferry man. 

Seeking to save Khazaria from Germania, Esther sets out on a journey with little but a friend, a mechanical horse, and a wholehearted desire to do harm to her enemies.  A bit of alternative history and reminiscent of the character in the Bible, Esther is a woman on a mission.  This story through all its twists and turns is worth reading.

 Thanks to Blogging for Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rise of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman

  The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman Navigating the culture that we take up residence in, with its laser focus on sexual identity, tolerance, and an individualism that raises its head at every corner, Christians need a robust account of how we got to this point in our Western culture without retreating to our churches nor morphing with the latest trends.   Carl Trueman, professor of religion and theology at Grove City College, brings his keen historical research to bear on this issue in his new book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.   Part historical survey and philosophical analysis, Dr. Trueman traces the trajectories of key thinkers such as Rousseau, Freud, and Marx, while also incorporating the insights of Charles Taylor and Phillip Rieff to form a cogent argument as to how we got to this point in our history, both in our expressive individualism and sexual freedom outlooks.   The book is surprisingly insightful and yet demands from the reader the pa
Post a Comment
Read more

The Conditioned Mind

The Conditioned Mind: Overcoming the Crippling Effects of Sin and Guilt by Michael J. Mannia Counselor and author Michael J. Mannia knows firsthand how the spiraling of sin and guilt can eat away at life.  His new book, The Conditioned Mind, is a look into how believers can overcome the effects of sin and guilt and live in the freedom that we have in Christ.  Through a careful look into the patterns that we develop and the mindsets that we get ingrained in, Michael is able to offer ways through guilt that bring freedom and healing.  I think this is not only a timely but a book that aims toward bringing real healing to its readers. In the first chapter Michael looks at two needs that we have: our need for love and our need for security.  Love isn’t something optional for the human race, but something it needs at its core.  “Additionally, we need to reciprocate love.  We need to feel loved as much as we need to love others (8).”  Love is a two-way street that inv
Post a Comment
Read more

Passover and Jesus

The Messiah in the Passover , Edited by Darrell Bock and Mitch Glaser Why should Christians celebrate and remember the Passover?   This is a striking question that needs to be understood as well as the historical and theological context of the Passover.   However obscure we sometimes view the Old Testament, there is some significant reasons why we should reach back and study the Passover.   Mitch Glaser in the Introduction states, “When Christians celebrate the Passover, they grow in their understanding of the Old Testament, affirm the Jewishness of the Gospel, deepen our understanding of the Lord’s Supper, and build community with fellow Christians…” (20).   This book is answer to why celebrate the Passover but even more importantly an answer to what the Passover is and what it signifies to us today.   The various contributors of this book, Messiah in the Passover, bring a wealth of ministry experience in relating the Jewishness of both Jesus and the Old Testament to
Post a Comment
Read more