Esther (51 page)

Howard Books

An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Kanner

Scripture quotations taken from
The Five Megilloth and Jonah
, a New Translation, by the Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia, 1969.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Howard Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Howard Books hardcover edition November 2015

HOWARD and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or
[email protected]
.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at
www.simonspeakers.com
.

Design by Robert Ettlin

Jacket Design by Gearbox Design

Front Jacket Photograph by Susan Fox, Sandra Cunningham/Trevillion Images

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kanner, Rebecca.

Esther : a novel / Rebecca Kanner. —First Howard Books hardcover edition.

pages ; cm

1. Esther, Queen of Persia—Fiction. 2. Bible. Esther—History of Biblical events—Fiction. 3. Women in the Bible—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3611.A5495E85   2015

813'.6—dc23

2015009650

ISBN 978-1-5011-0866-2

ISBN 978-1-5011-0867-9 (ebook)