The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen
“There is a tale that is told: A desert queen journeyed north with a caravan of riches to pay tribute to a king and his One God. The story of a queen conquered by a king before she returned to her own land laden with gifts. This is the tale you are meant to believe. Which means most of it is a lie.”
Thus begins Tosca Lee’s epic story of Bilqis, daughter of the king of Sheba, who rises to become one of the most famous queens in the world. Lee captures the mystery, majesty and mayhem of the ancient world with its warring gods and goddesses, and their struggles to gain or retain control of their piece of land. Filled with gold, frankincense and myrrh, the land of Saba (Sheba) is rich beyond imagination, and Bilqis is both beautiful and brilliant. And yet, for all her power and riches, she finds the life to which she was born often empty.
When she hears of the new king, Solomon, from that upstart land of Israel, she refuses to send him an emissary. He is offended by her stance and so writes her a secret letter. A sort of pen-pal relationship develops between the king and queen, each new papyrus a challenge, a riddle and a mirror. Finally, Bilqis decides to travel herself to see this mighty king, in the hope that he will not cut off the trade routes that have brought Saba its wealth. This bold move surprises the “wisest man on earth,” but he is delighted by the prospect.
Lee tells a terrific tale of a woman who must figure out her way through the prickly path of politics and religion to find what she really wants.
