Behold Your Queen

   One of my favourite books growing up was called Behold Your Queen by Gladys Malvern. It is sort of Biblical fiction as it is about Esther, but with a lot more detail. I have clear memories of reading this book sitting by the fireplace wrapped up in my mother's warmest robe shaking with chills during my yearly bout with the flu. I checked out this book once a year in the fall right around Thanksgiving for several years. At some point I stopped. I'm not sure why. Maybe I thought that it carried the flu virus.
   Every so often I'd think about the book and sometimes would make a half hearted effort to get a copy. The book was originally published in 1951. It was out of print when I started checking it out from the library. The chances of ever being able to read it again, let alone own a copy seemed small. I eventually forgot about it leaving the memory of the book behind like so many other things from my younger years.
   Several months ago I read something about a gospel music artist named Natalie Grant. I was curious to hear a song of hers and went to You Tube. I found a song called 'Alive'. I liked it a lot. It was from a collection of songs inspired by Biblical stories and figures. I found another song called 'Born for This'. It is sung by Mandisa and is about Esther. What I liked about this song is that it is sung from Esther's point of view.
  I downloaded the song onto my IPod. It made me remember how much I liked Esther and her story. She was one of the few Biblical women I could relate to. I liked the fact that she was placed in a position where she had to act and she wavered a little. It made her human. In the end, she did act and as a result saved her people. One of my favourite Bible verses is Esther 4:13-14. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest they peace at this time,then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
  Now while I know I will never be the savior of a country or of people as Esther was, I keep these words in mind because sometimes I am placed in a situation where I can help someone. The verse to me applies equally in that situation as well.
  I started to think about my childhood book again. The chances were slim, but maybe a copy would be found. I went to the Barnes and Noble website. I typed in the name. It was there and available. It had been republished in 2011. Even better it was available as a Nook book. I could buy it and download it right away which I did.
  The next morning, I started to read it. It was as good as I remembered it. I had a hard time putting it down. Even though I knew what would happen and how the story went, I was eager to keep reading. Whatever it was about this book that had impressed me hadn't dimmed in the nearly 30 years since I had read it last. I was afraid it would seem silly or trite. It wasn't. After work C and I ate supper. After supper C turned on a basketball game. I picked up where I left off.
   I was absorbed in the book. I could see the characters and what was going on. I could see Haman in a rage at having to honor Mordecai the Jew who was his enemy. I watched Esther as she prepared to go to the King, uninvited, in defiance of the law. I saw the relief of her servants when the King extended his scepter to her in token that she was welcome despite the lack of invitation. All the scenes unfolded to me one after another.
   Finally the book ended. The Jews triumphed over their enemies and a new holiday was proclaimed.  I looked at the last page on my screen with satisfaction. So many times I have looked back at things I've like when I was younger and wondered why. Many things seemed silly, trite and unattractive. This book had lived up to its memory. It was worth the small amount I had to pay to buy it. Best of all, now that I have it, I can read it again.