The only woman in the Bible who is noted to have loved a man, Queen Michal was King David's childhood sweetheart, his first wife, and daughter of his great friend and greater enemy, King Saul. Married to and then abandoned by David at age 14, Michal is forced to marry him again and become his first queen ten years later. Thrown into transition and turmoil, Queen Michal resists the ambition and greed that have become integral to David's personality and kingship. Acting nobly as his queen, but refusing to compromise her soul, Michal is drawn in friendship to the women in the king's court. Among his concubines and mistresses is Bathsheba, who becomes the mother of David's son, Solomon. In Queenmaker , Michal emerges as a wise and loving woman whose female family sustains her and establishes the spiritual foundation of the entire kingdom. Queenmaker depicts in unforgettable detail the characters of one of the greatest periods in Biblical history-their public deed and private thoughts-and gives readers the court of the kings as only a woman could see it. Turning inside out the traditional view of David as a beloved king and gentle author of the Psalms, India Edghill's well-written debut novel Queenmaker paints a dark picture of the lauded biblical hero as seen through the eyes of his first wife, Michal. David's silver-tongued way with words captures Michal's heart, but her marriage to him is soon annulled by her half-mad father, King Saul. She's packed off to marry the widowed farmer Phaltiel, whom Michal soon learns to love. When David gains the throne of Israel and sends for Michal, she discovers that David has become a king who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Through courage and wit, Michal must carve out a new life as the queen and wife of a man she now despises. Edghill isn't afraid to change biblical narrative to suit her story, and paints David as a selfish, grasping leader whose feet of clay are all too evident in this tale. Those who like their biblical narrative served straight up and their heroes untarnished may be disturbed by this reassessment; those who like a good story and a new spin on biblical champions, however, will enjoy this unvarnished look at one of Judaism's and Christianity's most lauded personalities. --Cindy Crosby Almost everyone in the Western world has heard of David, slayer of Goliath, King of Israel, Lion of Judah, and beloved of Yahweh; however, his queen, Michal, is not as well known. Only a handful of Scriptures in Samuel I and II mention her, but from those few references, first novelist Edghill has created a memorable and powerful portrait. Daughter of King Saul, Michal marries David at 13 before he falls from Saul's favor. After David flees Saul's wrath into the desert, Michal remarries and for ten years lives away from the intrigue and politics of her father's court. Upon Saul's death in battle, Michal is returned to her estranged husband, and out of bitterness and resentment for being uprooted from her life, she is rumored to undermine the Israelis' admiration and respect for David. As the story is told from Michal's point of view, David is portrayed as less than heroic he is a vain, selfish, Machiavellian figure which may offend some readers who subscribe to a literal translation of Scripture. However, this is but a minor caveat. With its excellent writing, dynamic characters, and galloping pace, Edghill's work is highly recommended for all historical fiction collections. Jane Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. When Saul, a simple farmer, is crowned the first king of Israel, his youngest daughter, Michal, thus becomes a princess. She meets and falls in love with a devastatingly handsome charmer, David, and this is the premise for Edghill's first novel, a fictional treatment of the life of Michal. The story follows Michal from innocent to politically savvy queen, providing a look at what life was like for a privileged woman of time, with details of customs and everyday life adding texture. Michal's position in the royal household was complex and politically important, but the exploration of relationships and interactions with important family members and people throughout her life is limited. Edghill's fresh take on David reveals a power-hungry man who cleverly used looks, intellect, and oratory skills to move up in the ranks of Saul's army and then become king. The test of wills that develops between Michal and David adds zest and intrigue to these fast-moving pages. Eileen Hardy Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved " Queenmaker ...exposes the foolishness and short-sighted passion that can make fools of the most exalted of heroes." --Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean India Edghill lives in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Queenmaker is her first novel Queenmaker CHAPTER 1 "Let David, I pray thee, stand before me ... . "--I Samuel 16:22  My