Queenmaker: A Novel of King David's Queen Book

Having studied the story of David very closely, I was delighted to see that India Edghill’s story deftly releases the inherent tensions hidden in the conventional biblical accounts of this hero of the Old Testament. No one could be that powerful and "heroic" without also being ruthless and self-centered! Not only are is the era (ca. 1000BCE) drawn in a palpable, realistic, sensual way, but also the behind-the-scenes motives and machinations which help explore and fill in the gaps between David the King and David the man - and everyone he affected, especially Michal and his other wives. From David’s first audacious victory over Goliath and the Philistines through war, intrigue, love, lust, betrayal, compromise and treachery, Michal is thrust into often untenable positions which test her character, her ingenuity, her faith and her loyalty. I really empathized and often identified with her difficulties, so found her very believable. Edghill writes with true sensibility for the biblical era (no jarring anachronisms of thought or description at all) and with a deep insight into the characters of men and women confronted with choices between love and revenge, power and influence, and even life and death. Queenmaker is an absorbing, thoughtful book, and I highly recommend it.