David is the protagonist of A Tale of Three Kings, appearing as the main character from the first chapter to the last. The novel’s title, then, has the potential to be slightly misleading, as the book does not deal in equal measure with three kings. Rather, it has David, the middle king, as its central character, and it studies how David behaves toward the leader who precedes him (Saul, in Part 1) and the one who tries to succeed him (Absalom, in Part 2). The book recounts certain portions of the biblical story of David as Israel’s second king, but it is not intended to be a complete portrait of the biblical/historical character, as it skips over many of the most famous episodes in his life, such as his defeat of the giant Goliath. He is a round character and also somewhat dynamic, growing throughout the plot.

In a few instances, the book assumes motives for David’s actions that are speculative, such as his decision not to stand against Absalom because of a noble resolution to leave the matter in God’s hands (whereas a straightforward reading of the biblical

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