Books like 'Queen Esther: A Novel'
Readers who enjoyed Queen Esther: A Novel by John Irving also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical historical-fiction family politics christian season-winter spirituality literary-fiction
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Coming Home to the Four Streets by Nadine Dorries
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTrouble is coming to the four streets, especially for its redoubtable women, who've struggled through a bitter winter to put food on the table. The Dock Queen Carnival is only weeks away, but there's no money for the usual celebrations. No sign of a tramp ship with illicit cargo to be quietly siphoned off by the dockers... -
The Lanterns of the King of Galilee: A Novel of 18th-Century Palestine by Ibrahim Nasrallah
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn eighteenth-century Palestine, on the shores of Galilee's Lake Tiberias, visionary political and military leader Daher al-Umar al-Zaydani undertakes a journey toward the greatest aim anyone could hope to achieve in his day: the establishment of an autonomous Arab state...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction politics adult audiobook book fiction historical -
A Passionate Hope: Hannah's Story by Jill Eileen Smith
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHannah and her husband, Elkanah, share a deep and abiding love, for each other, for their God, and for his tabernacle at Shiloh. Greatly disturbed by the corruption of the priests, they long for restoration and pray for a deliverer. But nothing changes as the years pass. Years that also reveal Hannah to be barren...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction spirituality book fiction historical young-adult romance -
The Orphan's Island by Katharine Swartz, Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings1904: Ellen Copley is still a child when she leaves behind the sooty rail yards of Glasgow, and crosses the Atlantic Ocean with a heart full of dreams. Yet within weeks of their arrival in America, her father has disappeared—leaving Ellen with resentful relatives, feeling alone and scared for her future...Categorized as:
historical-fiction christian family literary-fiction spirituality historical high-school ww2 -
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Kinfolk by Pearl S. Buck
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsKinfolk is the story of a Chinese family. Dr. Liang moves to America in search of a better life, but his children long to return to China. Each responds to their new life in China differently, providing rich insight into the struggles between Eastern and Western culture, and the differences between generations...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family politics literary-fiction fiction classics historical 20th-century -
The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection: Hope Reaches Across the Centuries Through One Single Bottle, Inspiring Five Romances by Joanne Bischof, Amanda Dykes
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJoin the journey as one word etched in Latin on an ancient bronze bottle travels through the centuries to reach five young women who are struggling to maintain their faith in God and love. An Irish princess, a Scottish story weaver, a Post-Colonial nurse, a cotton mill worker, and a maid who nearly drowned each receive a message from the bottle just when they need their hope restored...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction spirituality adult anthologies fiction historical romance -
The Tomb: A Novel of Martha by Stephanie Landsem
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this captivating retelling of a classic biblical story, Jesus shocks the town of Bethany with Lazarus’s resurrection from the dead, leading Martha—a seemingly perfect woman trapped by the secrets of her past—to hope and a new life. Everyone in Bethany admires Martha—the perfect Jewish woman... -
The Appomattox Saga Collection 1 by Gilbert Morris
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEnjoy the first three novels from the acclaimed Appomattox Saga by bestselling author Gilbert Morris in a collector's hardbound anthology. On a prosperous Virginia plantation, the Rocklin family tries to live as they traditionally have, enjoying the pleasures of wealth and status... -
The Magdalene Reliquary by Gary McAvoy
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA curious priest uncovers a mystifying secret... One that leads to a long-buried relic some will do anything to possess. Can he outwit adversaries who will stop at nothing to keep him from revealing an object that challenges history as we know it? Father Michael Dominic discovers a strangely constructed 13th-century puzzle hidden deep within the Vatican Secret Archives...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction politics spirituality adult book fiction -
A Breath of Hope by Lauraine Snelling
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNilda Carlson has been trying to save enough money to go to America for months, so when a letter from Einar and Gerd Strand arrives, offering to pay her ticket, she jumps at the chance. Her younger brother Ivar accompanies her, and they can't wait to join their brother Rune and his family in the northern forests of Minnesota... -
The Revealing by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNaomi King, soft spoken, loyal, and easily overlooked, has a gift. She sees what others can't see. Intuition, she calls it. Others in Stoney Ridge don't know what to make of it and dismiss her hunches and inklings altogether. When a young woman arrives at the Inn at Eagle Hill with a shocking secret about Tobe Schrock, Naomi fears the worst... -
Ribbon of Years by Robin Lee Hatcher
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA realistic portrayal of a woman committed to God despite her circumstances. Miriam's unwavering faith throughout the decades of her life not only sustains her, but also impacts the lives of those around her in miraculous ways. Fans of Francine Rivers will love the inviting style of Robin Lee Hatcher... -
A Song of Joy by Lauraine Snelling
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn Minnesota in 1911, Nilda Carlson is torn between society life in the city of Blackduck and spending time with her family back home on the farm. Her employer, Mrs. Schoenleber, gives her more and more responsibility and experience, including recommending new opportunities for her philanthropy...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction family spirituality romance historical fiction audiobook -
Though Mountains Fall by Dale Cramer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsUnique Amish Historical from a Bestselling, Award-Winning Author Amish pacifism is sorely tested in the Paradise Valley settlement in the 1920s. When an army of bandits descends on them, the Amish are saved by the last-minute arrival of government troops. But they soon learn that soldiers can be as cruel as the bandits themselves...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality adult audiobook book fiction -
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Love's Awakening by Laura Frantz
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe path to true love lies somewhere between two feuding families In the spring of 1822, Ellie Ballantyne leaves finishing school and returns to the family home in Pittsburg only to find that her parents are away on a long journey and her siblings don't seem to want her to stay... -
Fair Valley Refuge by Lynnette Bonner
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s loved him for as long as she can remember. But can she trust her heart to a man haunted by constant danger? Shiloh, Oregon, April 1887 Victoria Snyder, adopted when she was only days old, pastes on a smile for her mama’s wedding day, but inside she’s all atremble. Lawman Rocky Jordan is back home. And this time he’s got a bullet hole in his shoulder and enough audacity to come calling... -
Spring Meadow Sanctuary by Lynnette Bonner
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe broke her heart. Now he's back to ask for a second chance. Heart pounding in shock, Sharyah Jordan gapes at the outlaw staring down the barrel of his gun at her... -
Appomattox Saga Collection 2 by Gilbert Morris
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEnjoy the pleasure of owning three beloved novels reissued from bestselling author Gilbert Morris. The United States' most terrible war is the backdrop for adventure, romance, and power of God to move amidst tragedy. Follow three Confederate soldiers who find that their greatest allies could be brave women who cross battle lines for the sake of faith and love... -
When the Clouds Go Rolling By by June Francis
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe secrets of the past can never be forgotten An orphaned young woman is overjoyed to find a family she never knew existed, but has to come to terms with their troubled history. Since her parents died Clara O’Toole has lived with her grandmother, Bernie...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality 20th-century adult book epic -
New York Bound by Rachel Wesson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsClover Springs goes to New York but who will survive the trip and return home? Erin Quinn, Clover Springs, Colorado’s beloved doctor, and her party arrive in New York to meet her past—just when the most devastating blizzard ever recorded is about to hit the city. Nora Doherty has spent years hearing tales of Doc Erin’s skill and kindness, but she anticipates her arrival with mixed feelings...Categorized as:
historical-fiction christian family literary-fiction spirituality historical western 19th-century -
Rachel by Jill Eileen Smith
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan true love overcome a legacy of betrayal?Rachel wants nothing more than for her older half sister Leah to wed and move out of their household. Leah wishes her father would find a good man who would love her alone. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jacob is making his way to their home, trying to escape a past laced with deceit and find the future God has promised him... -
A Season of Grace by Lauraine Snelling
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn 1910 Minnesota, Nilda Carlson's dreams are coming true. Though her first few months in America were difficult, her life now resembles the images that filled her daydreams in Norway. She and her younger brother Ivar live in their own house, just a short distance from her older brother and his family. Together they work the farm and fell trees for lumber... -
Before the Darkness Falls by Eugenia Price
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGeorgia, 1842. A grand and passionate era of American history, forged by the dreams of extraordinary men and women...the willful Natalie Browning Latimer, whose newfound marital bliss was threatened by a shattering loss...the ambitious W. H. Stiles, whose daring political trail led his family into the turmoil of Western Europe..Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality adult book fiction historical -
Stranger in Savannah by Eugenia Price
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSavannah, 1854. Throughout the city's elegant streets, stirrings of the Civil War are taking hold. For three families, the war has already begun within their hearts, drawing battle lines where once there was love... The Brownings: Mark Browning's unwavering faith in the Union sparks a battle of conscience that threatens all that he holds dear..Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality adult book civil-war fiction -
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Rainbow Cottage by Grace Livingston Hill
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen she meets her grandmother and family for the first time, Sheila Ainslee is loved and cared for like never before. So she is totally unprepared for her spiteful and vindictive cousin Jacqueline, who does all she can to humiliate Sheila and drive her away from her newfound family! But one of Jacqueline's schemes goes too far, and suddenly Sheila must fight for her very life . . -
The Fashion Designer by Nancy Moser
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe American Dream thrives in 1912 New York City Annie Wood, the housemaid-turned-pattern designer in The Pattern Artist, jumps at the chance to design her own clothing line when a wealthy New York couple offer to finance her endeavor. Joining the project is Annie’s new husband, Sean Culver, her best friend at Butterick, Maude Nascato, and a mother figure, Edna Holmquist... -
Dakota Dusk by Lauraine Snelling
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBook 3 in The Dakota Plains Series The wide-open plains of the Dakota Territory formed the setting for the lives and loves of many inspiring women making their way in the New World. Rebekka Stenesrude has poured her life into her students, only to see her beloved school burned to the ground... -
To See Your Face Again by Eugenia Price
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWith a compelling mix of historical personalities and fictional characters, Eugenia Price paints a vivid portrait of the Old South that has enchanted tens of millions of readers worldwide...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality adult book fiction historical -
The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen her sister falls gravely ill, twenty-year-old Marlena Wenger takes on the responsibility of caring for her infant niece, Angel Rose. Worried that this turn of events portends a more complicated future than he is prepared for, her beau ends their relationship. Marlena is devastated, but is determined to give Angel Rose the best care possible... -
The Beloved Land by Janette Oke, Davis Bunn
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBook 5 of Song of Acadia. In their own incomparable style, Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn paint a portrait both lavish and poignant of the colorful, chaotic world of the American Revolution, where danger is rife and political views run deep. And once drawn into that world, readers will be reluctant to reemerge until the last triumphant chapter has drawn to a close...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality audiobook book fiction historical -
A Nefarious Plot by Steve Deace
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSoon to be a major motion picture! Who has co-opted the American Dream? The Right? The Left? It may not be who you think it is.Republican vs. Democrat The Haves vs. the Have Nots Left vs. Right Us vs. Them We believe these are the divisions that are threatening to tear America apart... -
Dawn of the Golden Promise by B.J. Hoff
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIncludes Song of the Silent Harp, Heart of the Lonely Exile, Land of a Thousand Dreams, Sons of an Ancient Glory, and Dawn of the Golden Promise... -
Hannah's Choice by Jan Drexler
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHannah Yoder loves her quiet life on the banks of the Conestoga Creek. In 1842, this corner of Lancaster County is settled and peaceful--yet problems lurk beneath the placid faade. Hannah's father worries about the spread of liberal ideas from their Mennonite and Brethren neighbors. And Hannah blames herself for a tragedy that struck their home nine years ago... -
The Secret Years: An emotional drama of love and survival by Judith Lennox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA moving story about life in the East Anglian Fens after the First World War, evoking the emotions of the men who came through their ordeals and the women who survived the trauma of separation.During the golden summer of 1914, four young people played in the gardens of Drakesden Abbey... -
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An Expectation of Love by Rose Pearson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRakes and rascals eager for her dowry and status... Can Lady Dorothea find one good gentleman?As the youngest daughter, Lady Dorothea has been a little more indulged by their father than her sisters...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality adult book fiction historical -
Dakota December / Dakota Destiny by Lauraine Snelling
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDakota December “Help.” A weak voice moaned from the horse’s back. Sheriff Caleb Stenesrude climbed over the gate in a blizzard and reached up in time to catch the woman as she fell. To his astonishment, a small child, hanging on for dear life, fell with her. Under his breath he thanked the good Lord for bringing them this far and for a dog with a nose and ears to beat all... -
The Shepherdess by Jill Eileen Smith
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA young woman at the mercy of kings...A prince whose claim to the throne is challenged...One chance to make this life all they imagined it could be. Abishag may not be living the joyful life she once had before her oldest brother took over the household, but she can always escape to the fields for solace... -
Two Suitors for Anna by Molly Jebber
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn 1903 Ohio, a young Amish woman must choose between the life she has long planned for and a new, very different future Since Anna Plank moved to Berlin, Ohio, with her widowed mamm and two schweschders , she s found a real sense of belonging. As soon as her beloved Noah Schwartz proposes, they ll begin a new chapter here together...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction family spirituality romance historical fiction suspense -
The Lady to Match a Rogue: Faith by Isabella Thorne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFaith only wanted to be taken seriously… She never meant for things to get so out of hand, but men get funny ideas when a woman wears trousers. Miss Faith Baggington and her twin sister, Hope, are the youngest of the Baggington siblings... -
Rose Among Thornes by Terrie Todd
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsForgiveness is the deadliest force on earth.War might be raging overseas, but Rose Onishi is on track to fulfill her lifelong goal of becoming a concert pianist. When forced by her government to leave her beloved home in Vancouver and move to the Canadian prairie to work on the Thornes' sugar beet farm, her dream fades to match the black dirt staining her callused hands... -
The One Forever Promise by Lori Wick
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDrawing Lori Wick's story of 1870s California to its captivating conclusion, the novels of The One Forever Promise follow the fortunes of the last two members of the Patrick Donovan family. In Sean Donovan, Patrick's only son abandons all he has loved - home, family, and God - in a desperate flight that nearly ends at the gallows... -
Heart of the Lonely Exile by B.J. Hoff
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn Heart of the Lonely Exile, Book Two of BJ Hoff’s acclaimed and bestselling Emerald Ballad series, readers will find heroine Nora Kavanagh struggling to build a new life for herself and her son Daniel in America. With help from a wealthy American family and friendship and support from a British gentleman, Nora nevertheless finds herself caught in a conflict of the heart... -
Almonds and Raisins by Maisie Mosco
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe first in a trilogy about a Jewish family who flee Eastern Europe in the early 20th century and settle in Manchester, England. In the cold world of Manchester in 1905 the family Sandberg found the good things of life scarce and the hardships bitter as the chill northern winds. Sarah, the mother. A born survivor stranded in a land of strangers by the vicious tides of persecution... -
All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDiscovered floating in a basket along the canals of Venice, Sebastien Trovato wrestles with questions of his origins. Decades later, on an assignment to translate a rare book, Daniel Goodman finds himself embroiled in a web of secrets carefully kept within the ancient city and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction spirituality 20th-century adult book fiction historical -
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The Street of the City by Grace Livingston Hill
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen a handsome young man comes to tell Frannie that her mother is very ill, she wants nothing more than to go home. But her kind messenger assures her that he will take care of everything. Touched by his concern and sensitivity, Frannie's love for him begins to grow. There is only one problem: He is from the wealthy side of the river, and she is from the poor side...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality adult book classics fiction -
This Is How It Begins by Joan Dempsey
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“In a time when religious liberty is on trial, This Is How It Begins is an extraordinarily pertinent novel dripping in suspense and powerful scenes of political discourse . . . a must read . . .” —Foreword (starred review)A woman bearing a thorny secret. A man fighting for religious freedom. A battle neither saw coming. Massachusetts, 2009. Ludka Zeilonka is relishing her emeritus status... -
No Woman So Fair by Gilbert Morris
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBook 2 of Lions of Judah. Much-loved master storyteller Gilbert Morris has turned an imaginative pen to the lives of the patriarchs. Combining extensive research with skillful plotting, Morris creates believable scenarios in which his fictional characters are worthy of their biblical counterparts...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction spirituality fiction romantic-love historical book adult -
Wife of Chuza by Katrina D. Hamel
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHerod Antipas rules from his opulent palaces, but amid the hills and rural villages, Jesus of Nazareth proclaims a coming kingdom.The prophet has Joanna's unfaltering loyalty, but offering support is risky when she's under the suspicious eye of the tetrarch's jealous wife. Joanna and her husband Chuza must use their unique position to shield the prophet and allow him to gather his supporters... -
Rebekah by Jill Eileen Smith
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen her father dies and she is left in the care of her conniving brother Laban, Rebekah knows her life has changed forever. Her hope for the future is restored when she falls in love with her cousin Isaac, and their relationship starts strong. But marital bliss cannot last forever, and the birth of their twin sons marks the beginning of years of misunderstanding, disagreement, and betrayal...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction literary-fiction spirituality adult book fiction historical -
Bright Captivity by Eugenia Price
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEugenia Price has long shared with her millions of devoted readers her fascination with St. Simons Island and the families who built their lives in that beautiful corner of Georgia. Bright Captivity opens in the last days of the War of 1812, when the British invade the southern United States, and a young officer of the British Royal Marines takes one very special prisoner..
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