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:
This was a very interesting book, with Joseph's well-known story of obedience to God contrasted with Judah's lesser known one of rebellion. While I liked learning about the different cultures of the three main people groups shown here, it was also hard to see the practices of the group or of the individual who chose evil instead of good. From child sacrifice to the way Judah's sons treated Tamar made me very angry and I was glad these things weren't dwelled on or described much. Choices definitely have consequences, whether we like it or not. I liked how we are shown many different viewpoints throughout the story and that we are also shown how someone who chose God's way is ultimately rewarded, even though he had to go through a lot. It was nice to see how the different generations related to each other and how their stories intertwined and these Bible characters definitely came alive as real people, with real hopes and dreams and sins. I would recommend this if you like Biblical fiction.
I received this book free from Revell. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.
The Author
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© J. Lynn Perry Photography Jill Eileen Smith
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...
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