I just finished The Gilded Cage: A Story of Esther, by Rebecca Kohn. It was so good, I read it in one sitting.
The Book of Esther in the Old Testament is one of my favorite, because it's about a woman (yes a woman) who uses her smarts, beauty, and position to save her people from genocide. But, it's not very
personal. Kohn tells Esther's story and not only does she tell it in a way that makes you feel like you really know Esther, but she writes it as historically accurate as possible. One really great thing about this book is the character of the King. He has his terrible faults, but he has his good traits, too. He is very much a real human being. I like to read about characters that don't fit nicely into a little box and if you like that, you'll like this book. If you like historical fiction, this one is great.
Now I'm reading The Punishment of Beauty by Anne Rice. It's the second in the Beauty series. Melikes this one too. I can't wait to find out what happens at the end of the third book
