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celeste57 's review for:
The Queen's Cook
by Tessa Afshar
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
The Queen’s Cook is the third book I’ve read from Afshar, and it’s the third that has found a place on my favorites shelf. While this particular book stands beautifully on its own, it is also a series opener for a trio of novels that will showcase the famous story of Esther from different, original points of view within her court. Afshar's chosen framework for this story, that of Esther now returned to Hadassah, years past the loss of her throne, fascinated me. While I've read a good many Esther retellings, that's a tack I've never seen taken. The bits of her famous story that are woven through the story were gripping.
Our female perspective character is Roxannah, the daughter of impoverished Persian nobility. Her father is a worthless, abusive drunkard who has squandered what remained of the family's fortunes. He was once a better man, loving and bright, but he was never the same after his years fighting in King Darius's army. Roxannah has an incredible talent for cooking and baking and stretching tight funds, but she has to be constantly on guard against her father's fists. She's 23, past the age to have wed and started her own family, but she is trapped in a powder keg, trying to weather her father and support her timid mother. Her food sounds absolutely divine. I loved watching Roxannah, a Persian through and through, come to know and trust in the one true God. She is immensely talented, but lacks the confidence to stand up for herself and fight her own battles until she embraces God and realizes that she never fights alone. The faith content of this story, especially in how it related to Roxannah, was truly lovely.
Our female perspective character is Roxannah, the daughter of impoverished Persian nobility. Her father is a worthless, abusive drunkard who has squandered what remained of the family's fortunes. He was once a better man, loving and bright, but he was never the same after his years fighting in King Darius's army. Roxannah has an incredible talent for cooking and baking and stretching tight funds, but she has to be constantly on guard against her father's fists. She's 23, past the age to have wed and started her own family, but she is trapped in a powder keg, trying to weather her father and support her timid mother. Her food sounds absolutely divine. I loved watching Roxannah, a Persian through and through, come to know and trust in the one true God. She is immensely talented, but lacks the confidence to stand up for herself and fight her own battles until she embraces God and realizes that she never fights alone. The faith content of this story, especially in how it related to Roxannah, was truly lovely.
"Royal cooks helped the empire discover new ingredients that might feed the hungry populace during feast or famine seasons. They were part artisans, part researchers, and part students.
A good cook never stopped learning."
We also follow Adin, one of the royal physicians. He's young for such a prestigious position, and is of Jewish descent. He changed his whole life trajectory at the age of eighteen, leaving his disappointed family behind in his wake. But he has built quite the name and reputation for himself within and outside of Xerxes’s court, through both his skill and his strength of character. He meets Roxannah in poor circumstances, but she is immediately entranced by him. She wonders what is so different about him and the way he approaches life, and finally concludes that it is his unshakeable faith in his God, the God of the Jewish people.
This is not exactly a fast-paced story, but it is gripping. It is laced with compelling characters, an immersive setting, and an intriguing mystery. There is a lot of palace intrigue, which isn’t something that typically interests me. It was fascinating in this context. The sheer size and scope King Xerxes's domain and palace boggle the mind. Afshar brilliantly captured the overwhelming magnitude of palatial life, especially for those in its employ.
I enjoyed every second of this story. I loved getting to know Roxannah and Adin and the supporting cast, as well as getting to see Queen Esther from a fresh, interesting angle. It also rewards readers of Afshar’s prior works without penalizing those for whom The Queen’s Cook is their first experience with her writing. There was a small, lovely tie-in to The Hidden Prince in this story's final chapter. It brought me joy. I was also surprised and impressed by the way Afshar tied the framework story to another figure from the pages of Scripture at the very end of the novel. Whether you’ve read everything Afshar has ever penned, or this is the first of her books you’ve come across, I can’t recommend The Queen’s Cook highly enough.