Lauren Ducommun

⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Once a Queen, written by Sarah Arthur, is a Young Adult Christian fiction novel that has long piqued my interest. It has a beautiful cover and was an ECPA Finalist. Assuming the title was inspired by a quote from Narnia, “Once a King or Queen in Narnia, always a King or Queen in Narnia,” I looked forward to the magical world Arthur was building. Unfortunately, I only made it to chapter 30 before I decided this book would be a Do Not Finish.

While the premise is interesting, it was pretty slow-paced, had strange sentence structures, and I was surprised by the lack of fantasy. There are hints of other worlds like Narnia, but even by chapter 30, the plot had barely touched on them. This book is less a world-building fantasy and more a coming-of-age novel exploring strained family relationships and grief, as 14-year-old Eva seeks to help her Grandma heal from her traumatic past.

LGBTQ CHARACTER

Despite the writing style and quality, I was still determined to finish Once a Queen. However, the primary reason I ultimately decided not to finish the novel wasn’t the pacing, but the way one particular character was portrayed.

In chapter 18, we are introduced to Lord Edward Hepworth, a friend of Eva’s mom. He is very fashionable, flamboyant, and outgoing. At first, I was confused about why a married woman would accept a dinner invitation from a man, while her husband was back working in the United States. During dinner, he asked Eva how school was, resting his head in his hands, listening intently, and nodding enthusiastically. Lord Hepworth then said, “All of that is wonderful…can we discuss this simply gorgeous outfit of yours?” He went on to describe how he admired the color and pattern. Now, this man is also in the tapestry art business; however, the way he is portrayed left me wondering whether the author intended readers to understand Lord Hepworth as gay, although the novel doesn’t state this explicitly. (The audiobook and his clothes descriptions also made it feel that way.)

What was more concerning was how flippantly he spoke about his marital life. Eva’s mom asks Lord Hepworth how his three children are, then asks how his wife is.

“My wife? You mean Vicky or Liz?” At Mum’s confused expression, he grinned again. “Sorry, Gwenny—the look on your face! No, Vicky and I divorced—long, boring story—and then I married Liz. We lasted about a year. No partner at present.”

“What about the art scene, Edward? I imagine you’ve got a number of clients.

This conversation shocked me for several reasons. First, how flippantly he talked about his two past marriages without any sign of hurt or grief. Second, it struck me as though the narrative was suggesting that, yes, he has children, but he tried to have relationships with women, and they didn’t work out. Taken together, his mannerisms, fashion, and failed marriages suggested to me that Arthur may have intended readers to interpret him as gay or bisexual. Third, Eva’s mom doesn’t even say, “I’m so sorry to hear that” or “Are you okay,” but simply moves on to ask him about his tapestry business. This whole section seemed inappropriate and out of place for a young adult Christian novel. The chapter ends with Eva asking her mom, “What was he, an old boyfriend?” Again, if he was, this would be an inappropriate situation for this married woman. The only way I can see her feeling it appropriate for a church-going woman is if she thought Lord Hepworth was a gay friend (which is deemed as socially permissible in the broader American culture).

I’m not against having characters in books that are LGBTQ, or boys who like fashion or are attentive to others. However, when I’m reading Christian novels, I’m looking for Christian authors who hold Scripture as their authority and who believe God created marriage for one man and one woman for life. And so I expect LGBTQ ideologies not to be portrayed positively as it is in this book. Nor should marriage or church services be mocked in a book for young teens. It’s not modeling what is true, good, and beautiful for young readers. I’m sure for many, this fact would actually draw them to this novel.

AUTHOR IS LGBTQIA-AFFIRMING

Again, my interpretation of this character may be incorrect. But I looked up where Sarah Arthur attends church, and her husband, Tom, has been lead pastor at Sycamore Creek Church in Lansing, Michigan, a United Methodist Church that says on its website it is LGBTQIA+-affirming and has female pastors. Sarah has a Goodreads blog post from 2020 in which she writes, “…our denomination is bracing for a split over LGBTQ inclusion, so prayers are appreciated.” Knowing this, it makes the interpretation of Lord Hepworth as gay or bisexual seem more plausible. This also explains the hints of feminism and egalitarianism among social classes throughout the book.

CONCLUSION

This book reads more like a cozy mystery and coming-of-age novel written by a “progressive” Christian. It’s not a book I can recommend to others because, I believe, the content may go against Scripture and reflects relationships and attitudes I wouldn’t want my own children to model. The sentences are often also poorly formed. The idea behind the book was creative, and I’m sure many young girls would enjoy reading it, but it is not a book I would keep on my shelves.

Once a Queen: A Novel
by Sarah Arthur
WaterBrook Children’s, 2024
384 pages