"The Gilded Chamber is a world unto itself and one well worth entering." —Margaret George, author of Mary, Called Magdalene
"A triumph of historical imagination and a must-read for lovers—and lovers of Jewish history." —Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire
"Fans of Orson Scott Card’s Sarah and Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent have a new author to follow in Kohn." —Library Journal
"Evocatively and sensuously told." —Booklist
"Evokes Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent in style and Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha in setting." —The Jewish Journal
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers
A beloved biblical heroine, Queen Esther is joyfully remembered on the Jewish holiday of Purim for bravely revealing her Jewish heritage and saving her people from destruction. Now debut novelist Kohn probes the details of this cherished tale, and unveils a story both more sinister and more complex than readers of the Book of Esther ever realized.
Kohn's tension-filled prose reflects the dangers of the ancient Persian Empire and describes how a young Esther is brought to her cousin's home after being orphaned. Her intended husband, Mordechai, is charged with her care until she's old enough to wed, but thus far he has hidden his Jewish identity to procure an esteemed position in the king's court. And when Esther is captured to serve as a concubine for the king, Mordechai informs her that she must never let anyone know she's a Jew.
The Gilded Chamber is not just a Jewish story but a human one, as Esther grapples with the need to hide her identity. By refusing to acknowledge her heritage, she helps Mordechai retain his position, improves the lives of the women in the harem, and eventually rises to become the queen. But her silence is emotionally painful to keep, and it becomes indefensible when the evil courtier Haman proposes the killing of the Jewish people. (Summer 2004 Selection)
In this measured, eloquent retelling of Jewish heroine Esther's rise from orphanhood to queen of the Persian empire, Kohn brings psychological nuance and stately elegance to the ancient biblical tale that is the basis for the Jewish holiday of Purim. Narrating in the first person, Esther (born Hadassah) tells how she is forcibly taken from her home to the royal harem of King Xerxes in Babylon. Her uncle Mordechai, a high-ranking treasury official in the king's service, warns her, "Do not reveal your people or your kindred.... Let yourself be known only as Esther, foster daughter of Marduka the Babylonian." The novel is by and large faithful to the biblical account and often quotes from it verbatim. Yet Kohn deftly fills the gaps and resolves the ambiguities in the Book of Esther with creative storytelling and historical research. As Esther recognizes her strengths and responsibilities and learns the ways of the palace, so do we; the oppressive closeness of the harem ("the lingering odors of perfume, food, and lamp oil"), the pervasive abuse, the fragile alliances and deadly schemes all come to life. Kohn's Esther has a will of steel and knows how to manipulate lusty, impetuous Xerxes, but she longs for a simpler life. Her sacrifices are finally rewarded when the king's trusted courtier Haman issues a decree ordering the slaughter of the Jews, and Esther is in a position to be able to save her people. Though the novel's pace slows at times, Kohn paints a convincing, complex picture of Esther, and her descriptions of the palace and its secrets will hold readers spellbound. Agent, Esther Sung. Author tour. (Apr. 2) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
In her debut novel, Kohn has rediscovered one of the best-loved women of the Old Testament. According to that book, Esther was orphaned at the age of ten and sent to live with her cousin and betrothed, Mordechai, a treasury official in the Babylonian court of Xerxes. Later abducted and brought to court as a concubine to the king, Esther became a favorite and then a queen-but with much politicking and heartbreak. Kohn's Esther is similar to the one in the Bible: a woman of great beauty, passion, loyalty, and courage who manages to save the Jews from extermination. Without sacrificing any of the biblical story's narrative, the author has fleshed out a world where intrigue, power, politics, and sensuality rule the day. Fans of Orson Scott Card's Sarah and Anita Diamant's The Red Tent have a new author to follow in Kohn.-Jane Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
A debut written in the voice of Esther, the Jewish heroine who became Queen of Persia and saved her people from destruction by the villainous Lord Haman. Esther (considered by rabbinic tradition as one of the four most beautiful women in history) was born to a family of devout Jews, in Babylon, in the fifth century b.c., betrothed early on to her cousin Mordecai, and orphaned at the age of ten. After her parents' death, she was sent to live with Mordecai, a high treasury official serving King Xerxes, in the Persian city of Susa. Mordecai once saved Xerxes' life and enjoys royal favor as a result; nevertheless, he feels obliged to conceal his Judaism and instructs Esther to do the same. When Xerxes' wife, Queen Vashti, defies the king in public, she is banished, and royal agents scour the country to find a maiden to replace her. Esther is abducted, imprisoned in the royal harem, and eventually chosen by Xerxes as his new queen. In the meantime, Xerxes' wicked prime minister, Haman, plots to overcome Mordecai (his rival for the king's favor) by inciting the king to issue a decree ordering the execution of all Jews-beginning with Mordecai. Esther, telling the king that she too is a Jew, protects her people by exposing the treason behind Haman's plots. Eventually, Haman is hanged from the very gallows that had been built for Mordecai, and Esther lives happily ever after as the most honored woman in the realm. Kohn keeps her narrative closely in line with the biblical account but fleshes out the story, offering a deliberately provocative sketch of the daily life of women in the ancient world. A nice retelling that adds a great deal by way of color and perspective-even if not much depth-to afamous and greatly beloved tale. Agent: Esther Sung/Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
