Inspirational author Angela Hunt has written a three-part fictional series entitled Dangerous Beauties. These stories are retellings of three Old Testament biblical characters: Delilah, Bathsheba, and Esther. These three women are notorious for morally questionable deeds and decisions. The Bible tells the readers about their actions but does not reveal their inner thoughts. It provides some information about their lives but reveals very little of their pasts. Readers are understandably curious about these characters' histories, and their motives. Angela Hunt imagines compelling stories of these women’s past lives and their inner thoughts.
The first book in this series is Treacherous Beauty and the main character is the Philistine woman Delilah in the Old Testament Book of Judges. She is notorious for her betrayal of the Israelite judge Samson who possessed extraordinary physical strength. Samson loved Delilah, and the Philistine army bribed her into learning the source of Samson’s strength. She successfully pressured Samson into revealing the secret. This action placed Samson into the hands of the Philistines and tragically altered his life. The Bible does not reveal what is going on inside Delilah’s head, so she seems like a cold-hearted manipulator. Was she always this way, or did her past damage her? Angela Hunt crafts a story about Delilah’s past life. Does this story make her a more sympathetic character, or does she still seem like an inherently evil human being? Read this book to see what you think.
The second book in this series is Reluctant Beauty, which focuses on Bathsheba, who is a character in the Old Testament Book of 2 Samuel. She was married to one of the Israelite King David’s soldiers, Uriah. She is remembered for having an illicit encounter with King David while her husband was in battle. This encounter brought fatal consequences for her husband, and she became one of King David’s wives. The Bible outlines the events that led to this scandalous encounter, but we do not know what Bathsheba was thinking. Angela Hunt includes in her retelling what may have been the inner thoughts of Bathsheba. She also retells King David’s actual actions in orchestrating this encounter. Does this story portray Bathsheba as an innocent victim of King David or complicit in this deed? Read this second book if you would like to know.
The third book in this series is Royal Beauty, which features Esther, who is the character of the biblical book that bears her name. Esther was a Jewish woman who lived in Persia after the time when Babylon conquered the nation of Israel. Esther’s parents were deceased, so her cousin Mordecai was her guardian. The Persian King Ahasuerus became displeased with his Queen Vashti, so he decided to replace her. The Bible says that Esther was taken to the King’s palace when he was seeking a new wife. The Persians resented the presence of the Jewish people, so Mordecai instructed Esther not to reveal to King Ahasuerus her Jewish lineage. When the Bible says that Esther was taken to the palace, does this mean that she was captured, or was this her own choice? Why would she marry a king who was her people’s enemy, and who did not embrace her people’s religion? Angela Hunt created a story of circumstances that brought Esther into the King’s palace. Read this intriguing book to find out whether this author believes that Esther was captured or willingly volunteered to be King Ahasuerus’s new wife.
Add a comment to: Scandalous Biblical Heroines of the Old Testament