‘Becoming Queen Bathsheba’- a Modern Treatment of Historical Power Play

Yinka Olatunbosun

In her latest literary offering titled ‘Becoming Queen Bathsheba’, award-winning author Amanda Bedzrah explores themes around the use and abuse of power, forgiveness, faith, and the consequences of our actions in a compelling fictional retelling of the popular Bible story. 

The second in her Women-in-the-Bible series which explores familiar biblical stories from the perspectives of their female characters, Becoming Queen Bathsheba is a gripping narrative of the biblical story of David and Bathsheba, drawing from the queen’s experiences.

From her placid life as wife to one of the king’s most trusted soldiers to the disruption from having caught the king’s eye, and the events that unfolded thereafter, Bedzrah tells the story as never before experienced and, in so doing, unearths so much more.

Avid fans of Amanda Bedzrah have come to recognise and love her writing style: a simple yet profound way of pulling the reader in and eliciting a response for action – to take away the right lessons and do the right thing. 

This is because the author herself is a firm believer that strength and direction can come from the Bible – even for today’s living. Much of Bedzrah’s work is grounded in the redeeming, empowering and transformative power of God’s love. Her debut book, The Love That Set Me Free, was met with critical acclaim, with readers recognising themselves — and finding healing — through her autobiographical account of childhood abuse, suppression and trauma. 

Since then, she has authored several instructional guides for living life fully according to God’s will, including 5 Habits of Godly Resilient Women, Overcoming the Fear of Death, and Praying Proverbs. She has also designed and published two journals for developing the art of kindness.

When quizzed about the departure from life guides to Biblical fiction, she commented on how she had always been struck by how little depth is given to the female characters in the Bible, including even the most pivotal leads. This observation prompted the Women in the Bible series, with Becoming Queen Bathsheba following the popular ‘Leah: Unnoticed. Unwanted. Unloved’.

Leah explores the story of another female biblical character with a deft, light touch, and was warmly received in literary circles, earning it five-star reviews from readers.