The story of Esther-- whose mesmerizing beauty was matched only by her clear-eyed wisdom-- has inspired women for centuries. Now her suspenseful tale comes to life through the eyes of a contemporary woman, debut novelist Rebecca Kohn. Capturing the passionate longings and political danger that have made Esther's legacy so timeless, The Gilded Chamber blends meticulous research with gripping storytelling to transport us to an ancient time in the far-flung Persian Empire. Orphaned and terrified, Esther journeys across the River Tigris to start a new life with her cousin-- a man well positioned in the court, and to whom she is betrothed. Her transformation from girl to woman unfolds against a lavish backdrop of the royal court and harem, rife with intrigue and daring alliances. Esther wins much of what she seeks: the heart of a king, and the deliverance of her people. But her rise to the role of queen is not without a price; she must turn her back on all that she ever wanted, and give her body to a man she can never love. My goal in writing this book was twofold. I wanted to write a historically accurate version of the tale that envisioned it as it might have really happened. I also wanted to give Esther a voice. Generations of women have grown up with the belief that Esther plays a relatively minor role in the book that bears her name. We have come to think of her as a good girl who does what she is told. Her claim to fame is that she wins a "beauty contest." But in fact her role, according to the biblical text, is much more complex. She Is a young woman torn from her home, an experience---when you stop to think about it---that must have been horrific. Through her wit and poise she wins the favor of the head eunuch in the harem and eventually the king. Her stratagem for saving her people, without causing undue embarrassment to the king, is also the result of a clever mind. But before she can save her people she goes through a crisis of identity and values. When I began to explore the biblical text and realized the potential for a fully developed character, I became very excited. I did not set out to write this book with a particular message. But along the way I found a lot of resonance with issues of contemporary life. Assimilation to the dominant culture, belief in God, the role of customs, traditions, and rituals, and even questions of social action saturate the story. I hope that The Gilded Chamber will help you find new meaning in an age-old story!
The story of Esther takes place in the reign of King Ahashverus, more commonly known as King Xerxes, who held the throne of the Persian Empire from 485-465 BCE. Although we have no record that Queen Esther herself ever existed, many of the details in the biblical text are very accurate. For example, the palaces at Susa (Shushan) and Persepolis had enormous gatehouses where the palace administrators worked. Thus, when the text says that Mordechai "sat in the palace gate" most likely it meant that he would have been a minor official of some kind in the court. Another historically accurate detail is Haman's suggestion when the king asks him how to reward a man who has served him. In the Persian Empire, to wear the king's robe was a great mark of honor. The messenger system, the cosmopolitan nature of the court, the architecture, and the lavish lifestyle of the king are all alluded to with great accuracy in the biblical text. In 481 Xerxes began a three year war against the Greeks. In The Gilded Chamber this is the period between the banishment of Vashti and the decree that sends Esther to the harem. Although the Xerxes in my book enjoys remembering the victory at Thermopolis, Persia in fact lost the war and Xerxes did not return to fight again. I create a good deal of back-story for Esther which is purely imagination. We do, however know that Xerxes was assasinated by a court eunuch. In The Gilded Chamber I have hypothesized a more complex plot. If you have read the book already, the final page may seem a little ambiguous. That was intentional---since we do not really know for sure what happens in history to Mordechai and Esther, if indeed they were real people. But in Iran today, in the province of Hamadan, tourists can visit an ancient Jewish shrine known as the tomb of Mordechai and Esther. While we have no direct evidence that they are really buried there, the existence of this shrine certainly inspired the conclusion of my story. In researching this novel I used the work of many fine scholars. Yoram Hazony's marvelous book The Dawn: Political Teachings of the Book of Esther encouraged me to begin thinking of Esther as a character with real depth. David Green's masterful translation of Herodotus was a constant resource. While direct quotes from the biblical text are my own translations, I consulted translations and commentary by Adele Berlin, Michael V. Fox, Carey Moore, and Meir Zlotowitz. Persia and the Bible by Edwin M. Yamauchi was another important resource. A.T. Olmstead's classic History of the Persian Empire is essential reading for any student of the period. For details on art, architecture, religion, and geography, I turned to the works of John Boardman, James Emmons, Stewart Gilbert, Peter Green, Lawrence Mills, Margaret Cool Root, and Houman Sarshar. I learned much about the role of women in ancient Persia from Maria Brosius. For material on Babylon, I turned to a number of sources, including Gwendolyn Leick and Charles Seignobos. Some interesting websites include: http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/GALLERY/PERSIAN/New_Persian_Gallery.html http://www.livius.org/persia.html http://www.bamjam.net/Iran/Hamadan.html
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