In both worlds, there are enemies all around and they try to rob the will of people to go on. Even the wife of Israel's Prime Minister Jacob ben Yuda, Hadassah Kesselman, feels the devastating impact of death and injury of a suicide bomber. Struggling to overcome her depression and the knowledge that she can now never have children and the loss of her beloved "Poppa", she reflects on the last words he was able to whisper to her. As she forms a plan, her husband reveals a special request from a Mossad agent, Ari Meyer, who wants to read her Hadassah scroll. This unique work, given to her on the eve of her wedding as had been done for generations of women, contained a series of letters written by Esther to Leah, a "sister in spirit" who faced similar angst in the harem of Artaxerxes, a man turned cruel by his birth mother, who returned when he become King, after the assassination of his father, Xerxes.

While most of the action in this novel occurs in present day Iraq and Israel, the authors have effectively interspersed the ancient story by having it read by the eyes of Ari and Hadassah. While at times, this technique was a little too coincidental and the letters too complete in background detail, I enjoyed the way the framing was done and could sympathize with Hadassah as she gets caught up in the ancient family story and then is harshly drawn back into the realities of her situation. Building on their first fictional work, "Hadassah: One Night With the King", this book further develops the Esther saga with an intriguing mystery and fast moving action. As I too got caught up in the story, I found it so engrossing, I was loath to put it down. This is a great read for anyone, but especially for those who enjoy this genre!

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Audrey Lawrence
May 9, 2006