Two brothers. One betrayal.
The patriarch Jacob has made it no secret that young Joseph is his favorite son. Growing up as the pampered heir to his father's legacy, Joseph thrives under the praise of his father but struggles with the disdain of his older brothers, especially Judah. When a chance comes along to rid themselves of Joseph, his brothers sell him to slave traders and deceive their father about his fate.
Joseph, now serving the captain of Pharaoh's palace guard, is imprisoned after being falsely accused of rape. Back home, Judah leaves his father and builds a new life in Canaan, attempting to flee the memory of his complicity in the betrayal of his younger brother.
Decades later, the brothers will come face-to-face, and this time Joseph has the upper hand. Will forgiveness or vengeance win the day?
My review:
I don't read much Biblical fiction, but this book grabbed my attention. The story of Joseph is one of the best Bible stories, and the cover of the book is very eye catching.
As is often the case with Biblical fiction, the author brought out things in a new way and even helped me see aspects of the story that I had not considered before, and brought out insights one may not consider while reading the story in the Bible. Sure, it is Biblical fiction, so the author did take some liberties, but she did no harm to the original Bible story.
The thing with Biblical fiction: you know what is going to happen....yet the author wrote the book in such a way that it was fresh and still exciting. I definitely recommend.
I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther's Story, and Miriam's Song. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.
The Prince and the Prodigal are available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.
Thanks to Revell for the review copy.
