Classic Joan of Arc tale in ‘Book of Esther’ could’ve used more obstacles

“The Book of Esther” by Emily Barton is a twist on the classic Joan of Arc tale, where, against all expectations, a girl leads an army to save her nation.

In this case, the nation is a fictional Jewish state on the eastern edge of Europe during World War II, and the girl a high-ranking daughter of the kingdom’s third in command.

Esther’s world is not quite our own. Her homeland, Khazaria, is based on a historical state of Turkic tribes on the steppes between Europe and Asia whose rulers converted to Judaism in the eighth century.

For a millennium this nation has repelled invaders, but Germania, the “dark kaganate,” now threatens its extinction. Instead of cars, people travel on mechanical horses, and Jewish mystics can bring to life a team of golems from the mud along the banks of the Atil River.

Barton weaves all of these disparate threads together into a believable world. Once you settle into the story and get used to its unfamiliarity, it’s easy to forget this isn’t straight historical fiction.

With her country on the verge of war, 16-year-old Esther feels compelled to help. She and her adopted brother steal out of the city and ride toward the fabled village of kabbalists, hoping they will transform her into a man so she can fight.

There, she encounters the golems, who with their intelligence, size and docility make the perfect servants, and a young kabbalist with a secret. Others are gradually attracted to join Esther’s ranks, and a hodgepodge army made of various tribes, ethnicities and religions rides on toward the front.

Esther and her associates are interesting and easy to root for. But as far as quest narratives go, Barton misses an opportunity to create a surprising and compelling plot. At every turn, Esther more or less gets what she’s after; obstacles are dealt with smoothly and quickly. Though it covers physical distance, the story feels a bit static until we get to the big battle scene at the end.

One theory of fantasy and historical fiction states that it always, in some way, offers a commentary on the present time, and “Esther” has plenty to ponder in that respect. The characters’ debate over whether golems possess spirituality and wills works as an analog to today’s development of biomedical advances and artificial intelligence. Questions about nationhood and ethnic-religious identity, gender roles and their changeability are as relevant as ever.

That’s not to say “The Book of Esther” is any sort of allegory. Like most good fiction, it leaves the questions it raises unanswered.

The novel does go deep into its subjects. Readers who aren’t at least academically acquainted with the traditions and practices of Judaism may find themselves lost. It can be difficult to parse the untranslated Hebrew and Khazar terms. But the book also offers the curious reader the opportunity to go down many a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

The girl warrior story wasn’t new even when the real Khazaria ruled the steppe, but “The Book of Esther” stands out on the originality and success of its imagined world.

This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 9:36 AM with the headline "Classic Joan of Arc tale in ‘Book of Esther’ could’ve used more obstacles."