Review: The Seventh Handmaiden
The Seventh Handmaiden by Judith Pransky Green Bean Books Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Leah Cypess Buy at Bookshop.org The Seventh Handmaiden by Judith Pransky is a middle grade work of historical fiction. Set in the Persian Empire, the book follows a young slave girl, Darya, with a mysterious past. Eventually Darya is assigned to the royal palace, where she becomes embroiled in the intrigue surrounding the king's search for a new queen... and, eventually, in that queen's confrontation with the king's minister, Haman. This unique and fascinating book blends Darya's life with the Purim story. The connection between the two does not become clear until the middle of the book, but the characterization of Darya and the whirlwind ups and downs of her life make compelling reading even without the Purim tie-in. Historical details about the Persian Empire are woven into the highly readable story. An afterword helps separate facts from fiction, and also explains some of the