Intrigue, humor, twisty plot turns--all descriptions of a new best-selling novel? No, rather of a drama over 2,000 years old; The Queen of Persia, an animated epic, based on the fascinating biblical Purim story. Step back 2,000 years and discover an inspiring tale of Queen Esther, Haman, and a nation of Israelites under the rule of the Great Persian Empire. In cartoon style, where characters seem to jump off the page, this animation is historical yet fun-filled; teaching timeless values of tolerance and courage, sticking to one's beliefs, and trusting G-d to win victory for the oppressed. Shazak's goal is to offer a series of Torah-learning videos and books that will inspire, educate, and entertain. The Queen of Persia nails it with comic book splendor.

"Work of historical fiction based on biblical book of Esther, the story of an orphaned Jewish girl who marries the king of Persia and saves her people" --

In an effort to complete a war his father had planned to win, King Xerxes calls every governor, satrap, and official in his vast kingdom to his palace in Susa to strategize and feast. When they finally leave, he decides on one more week of frivolity, which ends in the banishment of his favorite wife, something he never intended to do. But when he discovers Esther, Xerxes is sure he has a second chance at happiness. In her wildest dreams, Esther could never have imagined that she would end up as queen of Persia. Yet she knows better than to become complacent. Another of Xerxes's wives is vying for position, and his closest advisor has a deep and dangerous grudge against Esther's adoptive father. Caught in the middle of palace politics, Esther will find herself in an impossible position: risk her life or consign her people to annihilation. With her impeccable research and her imaginative flair, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the romantic, suspenseful, and beloved story of Esther, queen of Persia.

As Queen of Persia, Esther saves her people from annihilation.

At a time when America debates its values and the world braces for religious war, Bruce Feiler, author of the New York Times bestsellers Walking the Bible and Abraham, travels ten thousand miles through the heart of the Middle East—Israel, Iraq, and Iran—and examines the question: Is religion tearing us apart ... or can it bring us together? Where God Was Born combines the adventure of a wartime chronicle, the excitement of an archaeological detective story, and the insight of personal spiritual exploration. Taking readers to biblical sites not seen by Westerners for decades, Feiler's journey uncovers little-known details about the common roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and affirms the importance of the Bible in today's world. In his intimate, accessible style, Feiler invites readers on a never-in-a-lifetime experience: Israel Feiler takes a perilous helicopter dive over Jerusalem, treks through secret underground tunnels, and locates the spot where David toppled Goliath. Iraq After being airlifted into Baghdad, Feiler visits the Garden of Eden and the birthplace of Abraham, and makes a life-threatening trip to the rivers of Babylon. Iran Feiler explores the home of the Bible's first messiah and uncovers the secret burial place of Queen Esther. In Where God Was Born, Feiler discovers that at the birth of Western religion, all faiths drew from one another and were open to coexistence. Feiler's bold realization is that the Bible argues for interfaith harmony. It cannot be ceded to one side in the debate over values. Feiler urges moderates to take back the Bible and use its powerful voice as a beacon of shared ideals. In his most ambitious work to date, Bruce Feiler has written a brave, uplifting story that stirs the deepest chords of our time. Where God Was Born offers a rare, universal vision of God that can inspire different faiths to an allegiance of hope.

". . . practical strategies to help you become the queen you deserve to be." The story of Queen Esther, the orphan girl who became Queen of Persia and saved her people, has inspired millions and is the focus of a joyful celebration of thanksgiving--but there's more to Esther's story than meets the eye. Connie Glaser and Barbara Steinberg Smalley found something remarkable--Esther's tale contains the ingredients every woman needs to succeed in the business world today. From Esther's start as a contestant in the ancient world's largest beauty pageant to her triumph over the evil Haman, the authors use her example as a strategist, a risk-taker, and a persuasive speaker to provide a new archetype for contemporary women's success in business. Along the way, they answer questions such as: - Do I really need a mentor, and if so, how do I find one? - What can I do to be taken more seriously? - How can I get the credit and recognition I deserve--without seeming pushy or aggressive? - How important is risk-taking to my career success? Smart, savvy, and strategic, Queen Esther provides an impressive role model for women today.

A multigenerational family drama about grief, motherhood, and coming of age, all taking place on an Ohio farm. Joan Chase’s subtle story of three generations of women negotiating lifetimes of “joy and ruin” deserves its place alongside such achievements as Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping and Alice Munro’s Lives of Girls and Women. The Queen of Persia is not an exotic figure but a fierce Ohio farmwife who presides over a household of daughters and granddaughters. The novel tells their stories through the eyes of the youngest members of the family, four cousins who spend summers on the farm, for them both a life-giving Eden and the source of terrible discoveries about desire and loss. The girls bicker and scrap, they whisper secrets at bedtime, and above all, they observe the kinds of women their mothers are and wonder what kind of women they will become. But always present is the family’s great trauma, the decline and eventual death from cancer of Gram’s daughter Grace. A powerful story about family ties and tensions, During the Reign of the Queen of Persia is also a book about place, charting the transformation of the old hardscrabble Midwest into the commercial wilderness of modern America.

Esther is a young Jewish woman living in the Persian Empire many years after her people were exiled there from the land of Israel. Although she has never seen the promised land, she knows God will take her there someday. For now, she has more pressing concerns. Daily life consists of working at the bakery and taking care of her dear uncle Mordecai, who has never been the same since the grisly murder of Esther's parents and grandparents sixteen years ago. They were killed for being Jewish, and Mordecai tells Esther to never tell anyone she is a Jew. Esther loves God and knows He is with her at every moment. She also loves her uncle but sometimes wishes to find her own happiness, that kind of love she imagines between Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. One night, soldiers arrive and take her to King Xerxes's harem since he is looking for a new queen to replace Queen Vashti, who had displeased him. To Esther's surprise, she and Xerxes feel a sense of trust with each other, and he decides to make her queen. Over time, they fall deeply in love. There's just one thing missing. Xerxes doesn't know Esther is Jewish. Esther wants to tell him to share her whole heart with her beloved husband, but she has always been taught not to speak about being Jewish, not to anyone. Will Esther and Xerxes's love for each other be enough to protect both Esther and her people? Will she be able to speak and reveal her true self to her husband and the kingdom? When an evil plot to destroy the Jews is concocted by Haman, Xerxes's second-in-command, Esther must decide to speak up or not. In doing so, she risks her life, as it is against the law to approach the king without being summoned. Will Xerxes's love for her be more powerful than the law? Which will win, love or law?