The biblical book of Esther is the dark, yet marvelous, story of a Jewish girl deported with her uncle to the Persian Empire. They are in exile from Israel and from humanity, condemned to wander as nomads and strangers in a foreign land. Yet, almost in spite of herself, Esther becomes a queen, succeeding in saving her people from extermination. How hard it is when everything seems to be falling apart to stay true to one's identity! It might be even more difficult for these exiles to keep faith with a God who seems hidden deep in the very heart of history. However, only this kind of faithfulness makes it possible to accept the other, the one who is different, and to be accepted by the other oneself. The stakes are high. In spite of conflicts and tragedies, this story sets forth a real spirituality of difference. Esther in Exile is a penetrating work on the human condition in general and on the female condition in particular.
