The Queen's Cook

Afshar (The Peasant King) brings biblical characters alive in their own times, with scrumptious descriptions of food and the devious machinations of palace life. Roxannah has perfected the art of making herself small to avoid the attentions of her abusive father, who was once a proud Persian noble but now tries to drown the horrors of war with alcohol. Despite her trials, Roxannah wants to protect her neighbors when a decree from the king encourages an attack on all Jewish people across the empire. Her friend Adin, a palace physician, assures her that God has a plan. When Queen Esther bravely confronts the king on behalf of her people, Roxannah secures a position as a lowly cook in the queen’s household. Afshar gets better with every book, and her characters grow in faith, gaining the courage to stand firm when everything around them bids them to fall.