I received this book by accident from a friend who thought she had borrowed it from me. Truthfully, it's not the kind of book I would have picked up on my own. Hmm, a potbioler, I thought. But once I got into it I was hooked. It certainly will not go down in annals as a classic, but it did affect me in a positive way.This is the first in a trilogy about Joseph from the book of Genesis. In a short interview at the end of the book, the author is careful to note that she did not contradict the Biblical account in any way, which was important to me. Also, she lists 3 pages of sources that she used in creating an authentic picture of life in ancient Egypt. I appreciated the research she conducted and learned quite a bit about that time period - a bonus I hadn't expected.This first book in the series traces Joseph's betrayal at the hands of his brothers through his rise to the position of vizier in the court of Pharoah. There is a romance involved, and plenty of intrigue (even murder) to keep the story interesting. What impacted me the most, however, is Joseph's faith and his relationship with God, brought to the deepest level of intimacy between God and man during Joseph's imprisonment by Potiphar. This was a lesson that I should apply to my own life: the need for absolute honesty before God and trust in Him. Angela Hunt did a very good job of fleshing out the characters of the Bible story - no preachiness, no "thee's" and "thou's," no making Joseph an impossibly unbelievable character. He is flesh and blood, with all the glories and imperfections to be found in man.I am very glad to have read this book and intend to read the next two. I recommend it not only for its entertainment level but for the life lessons to be learned, and for the ability to see those in the Bible not as two-dimensional characters but as people just like we are.
More of a romance than anything (and with some fairly sensual descriptions), though the story was interesting in other ways, and there were some good lessons about pride and such. I also didn't feel there was enough self-constraint on the part of Joseph, or enough focus on the true God. He was willing to marry a pagan in this fictional story, and we have nothing like that mentioned in the Biblical account. (Yes, Pharaoh gave Joesph an Egyptian wife, but it doesn't say whether he wanted to marry her, or if she was indeed a pagan.) Not very helpful to my walk with God, besides maybe a few parts.
Do You like book Dreamers (1995)?
A review from my old blog (of the whole series) ...I have loved every Angela Hunt book I have ever read. Thus it was with great delight that I embarked on reading this series and another to be reviewed next. Both of these series were published years before I become introduced to Hunt and her writing. I definitely enjoy playing catch up because other than that I would have to wait for her new books to be published.Hunt has mentioned on her blog how writing for her is a process continually improved upon. She often comments on how she will go back and reread some of her older books and find all sorts of things that she would change and never write now.I could tell with these two books, two out of the three in the series (I don't own the third and have yet to read it), that these are some of Hunt's first books. Her characteristic style has yet to develop.Don't take that to mean that I didn't enjoy the books. I most certainly did. I have an affinity for well-written books that explore the stories of the Bible. Hunt has written several of my favorites.I definitely recommend these books, based on the lives of Joseph and a few other Biblical characters from the time period.
—Jeni Enjaian
To be honest I was disappointed int this book. If I had read it years ago I would have given it a higher rating I love most anything with Biblical/ancient history. But recently I have read research on Egyptian history and I consider this book historically inaccurate. Its as if the author took some well known characters from ancient Egypt and a famous character from the Bible (Joseph) and attempted to weave thier lives together. She placed the life of Joseph hundreds of years ahead of time and placed closer to the time frame that Moses lived in. More research should have been done. I have to give some allowance that purhaps the author used the information she had at the time when the book was written.
—Audrey
