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The Prince and the Prodigal:
Joseph is the pampered favorite son of the patriarch Jacob. His older brothers, deeply resentful of his status in the family, take advantage of the chance to get rid of him, selling him to slave traders and deceiving their father about his fate. It seems like their troubles are over. But for Joseph and older brother Judah, they are just beginning.While Joseph is accused of rape and imprisoned, Judah attempts to flee the memory of his complicity in the betrayal of his younger brother. After decades apart, the brothers will come face-to-face in a stunning role reversal that sees Joseph in a position of great power while Judah begs for mercy. Will forgiveness or vengeance win the day?Bestselling and award-winning author Jill Eileen Smith brings her considerable research and imaginative skills to bear in this vivid retelling of one of the most popular stories found in Scripture--a story of jealousy, betrayal, and a reconciliation that only God could bring about.***"A story of forgiveness, grace, and redemption, and Smith tells it in a creative and believable way, which is a hallmark of her writing."--Booklist
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2022
118 people are currently reading
2831 people want to read
About the author
Jill Eileen Smith
28 books1,479 followersJill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, the Wives of the Patriarchs, Daughters of the Promised Land, Heart of a King, Star of Persia, Miriam's Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, Daughter of Eden, and The Ark and the Dove. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Bible times.
When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable cats Kody and Kaelee. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.
Contact Jill through email (jill@jilleileensmith.com), her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith).
When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable cats Kody and Kaelee. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.
Contact Jill through email (jill@jilleileensmith.com), her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
February 24, 2022
Characters: For the first hundred pages or so, I found Joseph frustrating because he was presented as almost perfect, but as the book went on, he became a more realistic character. It was interesting having Judah's story presented alongside Joseph's. I don't know if I've ever read a book where Judah was one of the main characters before.
Language: Clean.
Moral: One of the main morals in this novel was forgiveness.
Plot: Some parts of this book dragged for me because I know the story of Joseph pretty well, but the middle had more scenes that were figments of the author's imagination.
Romance: This novel had an overabundance of wedding night scenes and the scene where Judah "visits" Tamar. Yes, they were vague, but I would've been much, much happier if they'd happened "off scene."
Writing: Jill Eileen Smith's writing style worked well for this book. Things flowed and were easy to read.
Overall: The Prince and the Prodigal was an interesting read, and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy Christian fiction and biblical fiction.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Language: Clean.
Moral: One of the main morals in this novel was forgiveness.
Plot: Some parts of this book dragged for me because I know the story of Joseph pretty well, but the middle had more scenes that were figments of the author's imagination.
Romance: This novel had an overabundance of wedding night scenes and the scene where Judah "visits" Tamar. Yes, they were vague, but I would've been much, much happier if they'd happened "off scene."
Writing: Jill Eileen Smith's writing style worked well for this book. Things flowed and were easy to read.
Overall: The Prince and the Prodigal was an interesting read, and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy Christian fiction and biblical fiction.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
February 2, 2022
I really enjoyed Joseph's POV and the reunions, but that's about all.
I'm not a fan of biblical fiction to begin with. But when you throw in multiple wedding nights, you lose me. I don't care if it's for the sake of cultural accuracy or historical context, I don't want to hear about newlyweds taking their clothes off and giving in to their passion and attraction, and I don't want to hear about the prodigal sleeping with a prostitute.
I'm not a fan of biblical fiction to begin with. But when you throw in multiple wedding nights, you lose me. I don't care if it's for the sake of cultural accuracy or historical context, I don't want to hear about newlyweds taking their clothes off and giving in to their passion and attraction, and I don't want to hear about the prodigal sleeping with a prostitute.
March 15, 2022
*Warnings*
#1 This is a long review, so pull up a chair and grab a bowl of popcorn. You’ll be here awhile. #2 When I read a review, I want substantial information. So I will not skimp on the details. Which may mean some spoilers, so watch out.
Stars: 3
Synopsis: Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, has long been despised by his ten older brothers. But when his father bestows upon him a coat of many colors and the Lord begins to give him dreams of authority over his family, their hatred grows until it spills over. Sold into slavery in Egypt, Joseph embarks upon a years-long journey from lowest of slaves to highest of kings...while his brother Judah separates from his family to wrestle with his guilt.
Biblical fiction—particularly retellings and fictionalizations of accounts specifically from the Bible—is perhaps one of the trickiest genres/eras out there. You can only take so many creative liberties without being branded unbiblical and inaccurate, but sticking to the Bible word-for-word is pointless when it comes to fictionalizing its accounts. So you’ve got to find that fine line between historical textbook and fantasy—a line that’s finest when retelling Biblical accounts rather than simply setting a story during the eras of the Bible.
Not only that, but the grittiness and immorality of the Bible (a rather hefty portion of which is entwined with Joseph’s story) is difficult to portray. You either gloss over it and neglect an important part of the Bible and history itself...or you risk being too detailed and disturbing.
So many, many things to grasp and grapple with, and very few authors pull it off...unfortunately, Jill Eileen Smith wasn’t one of the few. The Prince and the Prodigal lacked the characterization and emotion I wanted from the story, and it does tend to err on the more descriptive side.
Now, before I get into the depths of my review, I must say that, yes, the scenes of sexual nature could’ve been handled a little more tastefully. The scenes with Potiphar’s wife, Joseph and Asenath, Judah and Kaella, and Judah and Tamar were fine in my opinion (either short-lived or acceptable when they were between a man and his wife), but the scenes with Tamar and her husbands were rather disturbing, considering everyone’s ages. *shudders*
I can’t necessarily complain, although I know a lot of reviewers already have, because that’s how it is with Biblical fiction. It is arguably the most detailed, dark, gory, and sensual of all Christian fiction—and there’s really no way around that.
So there’s my opinion on the content.
Y’all know if I’m giving a book only three stars and that’s how long my content section is…something’s up.
The beginning starts out really slowly, and I’ll be honest. From the beginning, I could not connect at all with Joseph. Not even a little bit. He seemed like he’d been cut out of the Bible and pasted into this book...and that’s not as good as it sounds. He lacked characterization, development, and heart.
Which is crazy, right? This is Joseph. The king of dreams, you know?
Unfortunately, the dreams are almost like an afterthought rather than a pivotal part of the story, and that aspect of his character is never really explored. Even when he interprets the cupbearer, baker, and Phararoh’s dreams, there seems to be very little thought or emotion involved. It’s all like a lifeless transaction, which was so disappointing, because I see that as one of the most interesting and inspiring part of his story.
Apart from that, he was perfect. He literally did nothing wrong, and Smith goes so far as to insinuate that she wrote him like that entirely on purpose, saying that some see Joseph as almost like Jesus. Which is great in theory, as we are all supposed to be like Jesus and be a reflection of Him, but that doesn’t mean we can put ourselves or others on pedestals...not even book characters like Joseph. I wanted something from him—some sign that he was human and not a perfect angel (and even angels aren’t perfect)—and I really wanted someone to mention how cruel and unjust it was of Jacob to play favorites! Instead, both he and Joseph are regarded as perfect and justified in their every action, whereas Joseph is too perfect and Jacob is literally ripping his family apart from the inside out.
Of course, y’all know where that leaves Joseph’s brothers. They were all cruel, heartless brutes with no thought nor care for anyone at all. Yes, that was in part due to the fact that they didn’t serve God (which means Joseph and Jacob’s service to God made them absolutely righteous)...but even heathens have hearts. I do understand that in God’s eyes, those who serve Him with their whole hearts are righteous and those who do not are wholly wicked...but this story wasn’t written from God’s perspective; it was written from man’s, and therefore the good guys can’t be good all the time and the bad guys can actually do good things sometimes.
I dunno, it just would’ve been nice to see more depth to everyone’s characters. Really Dinah’s was the only one who was given any depth in the beginning, and yet her role in the story was so unnecessary! She didn’t have much of a role at all, actually.
Later on, Judah’s character is defined more...which I appreciate and was kinda the point of the story...but what stood out to me was that he didn’t really have an arc. He never had a moment of repentance or reconciliation with God. He didn’t make an effort to change his ways and serve Him. There was really no redemption for him; just a quiet shift into believing in God’s existence and His commandments rather than actually having faith in Him and serving Him.
And the crazy thing is...he was supposed to have an arc.
Believe it or not, it was Tamar who had the most characterization and development. Her character was defined and explored rather thoroughly, to the point where I began to feel sympathy for her—which would’ve been spectacular...if this had been a story about Tamar. She really stole the show, at least in the last half, while everyone else—from the other secondary characters to even the main characters—faded into the background.
Speaking of...I would’ve liked more depth added to Potiphar and his wife...and Pharaoh...and even the jailer and cupbearer and baker.
What didn’t help the characters or the story as a whole was having so many POVs. We have a couple scenes with Reuben, scenes with Jacob, Dinah, Kaella, Asenath, of course Judah and Joseph, perhaps even a couple others...sure, it filled in some blanks in the story, but it also made things very scattered and difficult to pinpoint the true purpose of the story. Had we stuck with just Judah, Joseph, and Jacob (the three Js), I think the story overall could’ve flowed smoother and the characters could’ve been developed better.
Instead, we focused way too much on Tamar and all her drama. Like...how did that enhance the story? A quick chapter could’ve dealt with seven chapters’ worth of drama, and then we could’ve moved on to Judah wrestling with bitterness and guilt or Joseph learning about forgiveness or something that pertained to the central plot and theme of the story!
As you can believe it, the ending was so rushed! We finally make it to the best part, the culmination of the entire book...and, in reality, perhaps twenty years or more...and we get, like, two or three chapters at best. All of that...for nothing.
*sobs*
Smith’s prose was decent enough; she wrote the setting rather well, even if the dialogue was a little out-of-place at times. “Sleep with me” just sounds a little too 21th century to me. The Bible uses “know,” “lay,” and “go into,” in that context, which is still probably not accurate for the time, language, and culture...but I feel like they would’ve been a better substitute than “sleep with.” Was sleep even used as a euphemism for sex two hundred years ago, let alone in 1800 BC? (Edit: sleep is found used in that context as early as the 10th century...in English, of course.)
Plus, “come sleep with me” is the worst. Pickup line. Ever. Y’all, we have got to work on our seduction tactics in the literary community.
In the end, the character development was lacking, the themes were never fully explored, and the plot seemed scattered. I have only one thing to say: Dreamworks did it better. Sure, Joseph: King of Dreams wasn’t perfect, but it captured Joseph’s soul, his heart. It captured the emotions of the story and made the struggles relatable (“You Know Better Than I,” anyone?). It put emphasis on Joseph’s dreams, his relationship with God, his personality, his journey to forgiveness.
Had Smith combined that beautiful arc Dreamworks’ movie wove together with Judah’s story, The Prince and the Prodigal might’ve knocked the ball out of the park...but as it was, it felt rather lifeless and not as poignant as the true story really is.
Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
#1 This is a long review, so pull up a chair and grab a bowl of popcorn. You’ll be here awhile. #2 When I read a review, I want substantial information. So I will not skimp on the details. Which may mean some spoilers, so watch out.
Stars: 3
Synopsis: Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, has long been despised by his ten older brothers. But when his father bestows upon him a coat of many colors and the Lord begins to give him dreams of authority over his family, their hatred grows until it spills over. Sold into slavery in Egypt, Joseph embarks upon a years-long journey from lowest of slaves to highest of kings...while his brother Judah separates from his family to wrestle with his guilt.
Biblical fiction—particularly retellings and fictionalizations of accounts specifically from the Bible—is perhaps one of the trickiest genres/eras out there. You can only take so many creative liberties without being branded unbiblical and inaccurate, but sticking to the Bible word-for-word is pointless when it comes to fictionalizing its accounts. So you’ve got to find that fine line between historical textbook and fantasy—a line that’s finest when retelling Biblical accounts rather than simply setting a story during the eras of the Bible.
Not only that, but the grittiness and immorality of the Bible (a rather hefty portion of which is entwined with Joseph’s story) is difficult to portray. You either gloss over it and neglect an important part of the Bible and history itself...or you risk being too detailed and disturbing.
So many, many things to grasp and grapple with, and very few authors pull it off...unfortunately, Jill Eileen Smith wasn’t one of the few. The Prince and the Prodigal lacked the characterization and emotion I wanted from the story, and it does tend to err on the more descriptive side.
Now, before I get into the depths of my review, I must say that, yes, the scenes of sexual nature could’ve been handled a little more tastefully. The scenes with Potiphar’s wife, Joseph and Asenath, Judah and Kaella, and Judah and Tamar were fine in my opinion (either short-lived or acceptable when they were between a man and his wife), but the scenes with Tamar and her husbands were rather disturbing, considering everyone’s ages. *shudders*
I can’t necessarily complain, although I know a lot of reviewers already have, because that’s how it is with Biblical fiction. It is arguably the most detailed, dark, gory, and sensual of all Christian fiction—and there’s really no way around that.
So there’s my opinion on the content.
Y’all know if I’m giving a book only three stars and that’s how long my content section is…something’s up.
The beginning starts out really slowly, and I’ll be honest. From the beginning, I could not connect at all with Joseph. Not even a little bit. He seemed like he’d been cut out of the Bible and pasted into this book...and that’s not as good as it sounds. He lacked characterization, development, and heart.
Which is crazy, right? This is Joseph. The king of dreams, you know?
Unfortunately, the dreams are almost like an afterthought rather than a pivotal part of the story, and that aspect of his character is never really explored. Even when he interprets the cupbearer, baker, and Phararoh’s dreams, there seems to be very little thought or emotion involved. It’s all like a lifeless transaction, which was so disappointing, because I see that as one of the most interesting and inspiring part of his story.
Apart from that, he was perfect. He literally did nothing wrong, and Smith goes so far as to insinuate that she wrote him like that entirely on purpose, saying that some see Joseph as almost like Jesus. Which is great in theory, as we are all supposed to be like Jesus and be a reflection of Him, but that doesn’t mean we can put ourselves or others on pedestals...not even book characters like Joseph. I wanted something from him—some sign that he was human and not a perfect angel (and even angels aren’t perfect)—and I really wanted someone to mention how cruel and unjust it was of Jacob to play favorites! Instead, both he and Joseph are regarded as perfect and justified in their every action, whereas Joseph is too perfect and Jacob is literally ripping his family apart from the inside out.
Of course, y’all know where that leaves Joseph’s brothers. They were all cruel, heartless brutes with no thought nor care for anyone at all. Yes, that was in part due to the fact that they didn’t serve God (which means Joseph and Jacob’s service to God made them absolutely righteous)...but even heathens have hearts. I do understand that in God’s eyes, those who serve Him with their whole hearts are righteous and those who do not are wholly wicked...but this story wasn’t written from God’s perspective; it was written from man’s, and therefore the good guys can’t be good all the time and the bad guys can actually do good things sometimes.
I dunno, it just would’ve been nice to see more depth to everyone’s characters. Really Dinah’s was the only one who was given any depth in the beginning, and yet her role in the story was so unnecessary! She didn’t have much of a role at all, actually.
Later on, Judah’s character is defined more...which I appreciate and was kinda the point of the story...but what stood out to me was that he didn’t really have an arc. He never had a moment of repentance or reconciliation with God. He didn’t make an effort to change his ways and serve Him. There was really no redemption for him; just a quiet shift into believing in God’s existence and His commandments rather than actually having faith in Him and serving Him.
And the crazy thing is...he was supposed to have an arc.
Believe it or not, it was Tamar who had the most characterization and development. Her character was defined and explored rather thoroughly, to the point where I began to feel sympathy for her—which would’ve been spectacular...if this had been a story about Tamar. She really stole the show, at least in the last half, while everyone else—from the other secondary characters to even the main characters—faded into the background.
Speaking of...I would’ve liked more depth added to Potiphar and his wife...and Pharaoh...and even the jailer and cupbearer and baker.
What didn’t help the characters or the story as a whole was having so many POVs. We have a couple scenes with Reuben, scenes with Jacob, Dinah, Kaella, Asenath, of course Judah and Joseph, perhaps even a couple others...sure, it filled in some blanks in the story, but it also made things very scattered and difficult to pinpoint the true purpose of the story. Had we stuck with just Judah, Joseph, and Jacob (the three Js), I think the story overall could’ve flowed smoother and the characters could’ve been developed better.
Instead, we focused way too much on Tamar and all her drama. Like...how did that enhance the story? A quick chapter could’ve dealt with seven chapters’ worth of drama, and then we could’ve moved on to Judah wrestling with bitterness and guilt or Joseph learning about forgiveness or something that pertained to the central plot and theme of the story!
As you can believe it, the ending was so rushed! We finally make it to the best part, the culmination of the entire book...and, in reality, perhaps twenty years or more...and we get, like, two or three chapters at best. All of that...for nothing.
*sobs*
Smith’s prose was decent enough; she wrote the setting rather well, even if the dialogue was a little out-of-place at times. “Sleep with me” just sounds a little too 21th century to me. The Bible uses “know,” “lay,” and “go into,” in that context, which is still probably not accurate for the time, language, and culture...but I feel like they would’ve been a better substitute than “sleep with.” Was sleep even used as a euphemism for sex two hundred years ago, let alone in 1800 BC? (Edit: sleep is found used in that context as early as the 10th century...in English, of course.)
Plus, “come sleep with me” is the worst. Pickup line. Ever. Y’all, we have got to work on our seduction tactics in the literary community.
In the end, the character development was lacking, the themes were never fully explored, and the plot seemed scattered. I have only one thing to say: Dreamworks did it better. Sure, Joseph: King of Dreams wasn’t perfect, but it captured Joseph’s soul, his heart. It captured the emotions of the story and made the struggles relatable (“You Know Better Than I,” anyone?). It put emphasis on Joseph’s dreams, his relationship with God, his personality, his journey to forgiveness.
Had Smith combined that beautiful arc Dreamworks’ movie wove together with Judah’s story, The Prince and the Prodigal might’ve knocked the ball out of the park...but as it was, it felt rather lifeless and not as poignant as the true story really is.
Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
February 4, 2022
Confession: I really don't read biblical fiction. I got scarred after a couple other books in the genre, which shall remain nameless (I'm not here on this book's page to review other books anyway haha). Suffice to say, I was a little nervous going in, but also really excited because I love the biblical story of Joseph and his brothers.
It took probably 30+% of the book before I really got "into" it. If that's you too, I'd just say ... stick with it! I'm not sure if it was the writing style (new-to-me author) or something else, I just couldn't latch on for a while. But after I did, it was worthwhile!
Of course, reading a fictional spin on historic events can be challenging, regardless of the event or era. I think this can especially be hard with biblical fiction--maybe because it's sooooo very long ago? We obviously have no one still alive today from those times that can corroborate, meaning the story (beyond what's in the Bible or filled in by other sources, whether church tradition/fathers or historians, etc.) is pretty speculative. Smith does a really good job at not only telling the story from multiple narrators' POVs, but bringing the story to life as a cohesive whole. She takes a story that doesn't historically offer much in the way of characters' feelings/thoughts and nuanced plot points and breathes life into it.
Of course ... the biblical story _does_ have some colorful elements to it, and sometimes that was really hard to read here (part of my issue with the aforementioned other books, too, frankly). One scene involving child sacrifice (a terrible topic to read about at any time of day, but especially as I was approaching bedtime) was particularly challenging, as were a couple other scenes of a more adult/sensual nature. Smith handled them well, and I had to remind myself several times that _they were in the biblical narrative_. (While the biblical Joseph story doesn't call out Molech and child sacrifice specifically in those chapters of Genesis, they were mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, and external documentation also notes the practice.) These were not made up for the sake of furthering the story, being "edgy," or anything else. So as much as I might sit there in my discomfort, that's not a bad thing if it pushes me closer to Christ and not away from the Scriptures I call holy--even the parts I don't like. (And frankly, I should be, and am, grateful that God uses imperfect people...I'd be sunk myself otherwise, lol.)
So--this was sometimes a hard read. It was also a personable read, where I really got to deep-dive into the (albeit fictionalized) minds of biblical characters I've read about a bajillion times. I do feel it will enhance my future readings of the story in the Word, and that is the best part!
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
It took probably 30+% of the book before I really got "into" it. If that's you too, I'd just say ... stick with it! I'm not sure if it was the writing style (new-to-me author) or something else, I just couldn't latch on for a while. But after I did, it was worthwhile!
Of course, reading a fictional spin on historic events can be challenging, regardless of the event or era. I think this can especially be hard with biblical fiction--maybe because it's sooooo very long ago? We obviously have no one still alive today from those times that can corroborate, meaning the story (beyond what's in the Bible or filled in by other sources, whether church tradition/fathers or historians, etc.) is pretty speculative. Smith does a really good job at not only telling the story from multiple narrators' POVs, but bringing the story to life as a cohesive whole. She takes a story that doesn't historically offer much in the way of characters' feelings/thoughts and nuanced plot points and breathes life into it.
Of course ... the biblical story _does_ have some colorful elements to it, and sometimes that was really hard to read here (part of my issue with the aforementioned other books, too, frankly). One scene involving child sacrifice (a terrible topic to read about at any time of day, but especially as I was approaching bedtime) was particularly challenging, as were a couple other scenes of a more adult/sensual nature. Smith handled them well, and I had to remind myself several times that _they were in the biblical narrative_. (While the biblical Joseph story doesn't call out Molech and child sacrifice specifically in those chapters of Genesis, they were mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, and external documentation also notes the practice.) These were not made up for the sake of furthering the story, being "edgy," or anything else. So as much as I might sit there in my discomfort, that's not a bad thing if it pushes me closer to Christ and not away from the Scriptures I call holy--even the parts I don't like. (And frankly, I should be, and am, grateful that God uses imperfect people...I'd be sunk myself otherwise, lol.)
So--this was sometimes a hard read. It was also a personable read, where I really got to deep-dive into the (albeit fictionalized) minds of biblical characters I've read about a bajillion times. I do feel it will enhance my future readings of the story in the Word, and that is the best part!
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
January 18, 2022
What a story of hope, forgiveness, and faith in a God unseen but works in everything for good.
The story of Joseph. Some know this story of Joseph and Coat of Many Colors. Joseph is the foreshadowing of Christ. Joseph was hated by his brothers just as Jesus. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers with 30 pieces of silver, just like Jesus. Joseph was favored by his father, just like Jesus. The story is told in context which is so important understanding the implications of God's redemptive plan. Joseph was a favored son from a very large family. His brothers resented him and Joseph was caught in the middle. The story was also told in parallel with Joseph's older brother Judas who is the direct line of Jesus. Judas' betrayal causes him to escape his father's house and marry a Canaanite woman. He suffers many hardships and lessons that always bring him back to what he did to his brother. One of the hardships he brought to himself was with Tamar. This too has many spiritual implications but in today's world is very hard to understand.
The story comes full circle when Joseph becomes Prince of Egypt and his brothers unknowing come to Egypt and face their brother after many years. The emotions of that meeting and the testing of faith is precious to anyone who wrestles with God, pain, and the will of God.
I thought the author's narration and research came together with integrity to the scripture and the character of God. The bible does not touch so much on human feelings but an author can some liberty to help us understand what a great God we have. The struggles that we face in our humanness and what we must do to surrender our will. Highly recommend.
A special thank you to Revell and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
The story of Joseph. Some know this story of Joseph and Coat of Many Colors. Joseph is the foreshadowing of Christ. Joseph was hated by his brothers just as Jesus. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers with 30 pieces of silver, just like Jesus. Joseph was favored by his father, just like Jesus. The story is told in context which is so important understanding the implications of God's redemptive plan. Joseph was a favored son from a very large family. His brothers resented him and Joseph was caught in the middle. The story was also told in parallel with Joseph's older brother Judas who is the direct line of Jesus. Judas' betrayal causes him to escape his father's house and marry a Canaanite woman. He suffers many hardships and lessons that always bring him back to what he did to his brother. One of the hardships he brought to himself was with Tamar. This too has many spiritual implications but in today's world is very hard to understand.
The story comes full circle when Joseph becomes Prince of Egypt and his brothers unknowing come to Egypt and face their brother after many years. The emotions of that meeting and the testing of faith is precious to anyone who wrestles with God, pain, and the will of God.
I thought the author's narration and research came together with integrity to the scripture and the character of God. The bible does not touch so much on human feelings but an author can some liberty to help us understand what a great God we have. The struggles that we face in our humanness and what we must do to surrender our will. Highly recommend.
A special thank you to Revell and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
February 22, 2022
Jill Eileen Smith is among the best when it comes to retelling Bible stories and bringing them to life. Her newest release continues her excellent standard. Her historical research is obvious throughout the book bringing the life and times of that Egyptian time period into focus. The story of Joseph and his brothers is a common one, but Smith adds a new freshness to it that makes it a pleasure to read anew and feel the emotion of the main characters as they each realize the role they played in God's plan for their lives. Yet it is obvious she builds the story on a strong Biblical foundation.
I highly recommend this latest work from a wonderful Biblical fiction author.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
I highly recommend this latest work from a wonderful Biblical fiction author.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
March 11, 2022
While the first few pages of this were slow, once I started reading, I didn't put it down.
Jill brought in so much detail about the culture and traditions and I really appreciated getting to see this story in a detailed manner. Just due to the nature of the story of Joseph (with it being fairly detailed in Genesis), there was not much deviation from the Bible at all. Almost everything lined up exactly. If you want a Biblical fiction novel without creative liberities, this would be one to pick up.
It was also super interesting to see part of the story from Judah's perspective. Oftentimes, he is overlooked and I learned a lot, especially about the Canaantie culture where he lived.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who likes Biblical fiction (and especially to those who love the animated film, Joseph: King of Dreams.)
4 Stars
Content: as true to the story in Genesis, there are some s*xual situations but none of it is much more detailed than what is found in Genesis
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
Jill brought in so much detail about the culture and traditions and I really appreciated getting to see this story in a detailed manner. Just due to the nature of the story of Joseph (with it being fairly detailed in Genesis), there was not much deviation from the Bible at all. Almost everything lined up exactly. If you want a Biblical fiction novel without creative liberities, this would be one to pick up.
It was also super interesting to see part of the story from Judah's perspective. Oftentimes, he is overlooked and I learned a lot, especially about the Canaantie culture where he lived.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who likes Biblical fiction (and especially to those who love the animated film, Joseph: King of Dreams.)
4 Stars
Content: as true to the story in Genesis, there are some s*xual situations but none of it is much more detailed than what is found in Genesis
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
March 9, 2022
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.
Scripture Connection
The Prince and the Prodigal is a biblical retelling based on the second half of Genesis. Specifically, the narrative follows life in Jacob’s camp in Hebron, Jacob’s slavery in Egypt and Judah’s move to Canaan.
There is also a TON of embedded Scripture. While dialogue is not eclusively from the Bible, I noticed a lot of the characters’ lines were taken right out of the text.
Spiritual Themes
As with the original biblical narrative about Joseph, one of the main themes is reconciliation and forgiveness. There is also emphasis on living upright in the sight of the Lord, regardless of whether or not you can “get away with” doing something wrong.
Half of the narrative is about Judah, and the author uses this section to flesh out the parable of the prodigal son. In spite of the title, I didn’t really expect that angle, but that was a really cool inclusion in the story. In his time away from home, Judah begins calling on the God of his fathers.
What I Liked
I discovered this title awhile before it came out and, when I had the opportunity to join the blogger team, I was excited to receive my copy. I haven’t read a lot of biblical fiction and had been wanting to read more. For me, this book was a very enjoyable sample of the genre.
My favorite aspect of the book is its overall immersiveness. I don’t just mean this in the sense of being transported to the setting– although that is true of the book. I felt immersed in the sense of getting to know the individual characters (real life people, but ficitionalized as book characters). And while a lot is necesarily speculative in a work of fiction, the author also does an excellent job of “connecting the dots” between biblical stories. Events that I usually think of as unconnected “Bible stories” (due to section titles and chapter breaks) became threads in a larger narrative. Scripturally speaking, that makes sense, given the ordering of the text. After all, the story of Judah and Tamar is embedded into Joseph’s larger narrative. While I usually think of this episode as an interruption, Smith’s novel really contextualizes the connection.
I liked the amount of Scripture embedded, throughout. Although I recognize that this was a fictional rendering of the accounts, the novel felt very consistent with the order and events of Scripture. Even the characters’ personalities felt consistent with the characters’ actions, as defined in Scripture.
Smith captures some important nuances, in her storytelling, conveying the significance of certain biblical details. For example, Joseph is “the prince” mentioend in the title, and we learn that the coat Joseph had made for him was more befitting of royalty. Smith also draws attention to the division specifically between the sons of Rachel and the sons of Leah. While I usually just think of “Joseph and his brothers,” it makes sense that there would have been differing levels of privilege and status based on whether a son was born to a wife or a concubine.
I enjoyed the secondary characters that Smith introduced. Many of these characters are people we see in Scripture, but know very little about. For example, there are a few lines in Joseph’s story about a steward who questioned his brothers, but we aren’t given much detail about this person. Smith fleshes out the character, and we get to know him, throughout the book. Descriptions and events involving the character reasonably align with the biblical narrative.
I was really impressed with the way that Smith intertwined Joseph and Judah’s stories. Like I mentioned above, this was not something that I saw coming, but it was so neat to see how this played out. I enjoyed reading so much about Judah, because I haven’t given a lot of thought to Judah, himself. Usually, when I think of Judah, I am thinking about his descendants. It was neat to chart his life journey in a way I hadn’t before.
Content
The nice thing about reviewing biblical fiction is that I can allude to specific “plot points” without being spoilery.
As in the Biblical narrative, there are several subplots revolving around mature content:
(reference to) The rape of Dinah, attack of Shechem*
Joseph and Potipher’s wife
Judah and Tamar
However, there was also some unexpected content: Judah’s wedding scene. Obviously, we know from the Bible that Judah was married and had children. As a heads-up, the reader actually enters Judah’s bridal chamber.
For this reason, I ended up skimming Joseph’s marriage scene.
As readers, we also witness Tamar’s relationships with her husbands— Judah’s sons. These were some really intense scenes because the author portrays the marriage scenes as sexual abuse. I do think that makes sense, given the Biblical narrative.
In addition, there is also a scene portraying the evil of child sacrifice.
Overall, most of the “Content” I referenced is just consistent with Scripture. However, the Judah-and-his-wife scene was more detailed than Scripture— although this particular Scripture is pretty clear about how Judah’s sons came to be.
Angle
I asterisked one content note above, because this was one element that I felt the author drew a stance that perhaps went a step beyond Scripture. Overall, she presents Levi and Simeon’s actions in Shechem as a bad thing, with Dinah even wishing she could have married Shechem. I do see Scriptural backing for various elements of this subplot (for example, Shechem “speaking kindly” to Dinah), the narrative disapproves of the brothers’ actions. The original biblical narrative is certainly nuanced. This just felt like one aspect that the author took her own stance on—which makes sense since this is a work of fiction.
Recommendation Status
I was impressed with the way that Jill Eileen Smith wove together the narratives of two people from the Bible in an immersive story. I also understand that, because this is a fictionalized work, there are some additions/speculations that may slightly deviate from Scripture.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I’d recommend it for adult audiences, with reader discretion. As referenced in the Content section, there was some surprising material that was more graphic than I expected, as well as some very painful thematic content.
Scripture Connection
The Prince and the Prodigal is a biblical retelling based on the second half of Genesis. Specifically, the narrative follows life in Jacob’s camp in Hebron, Jacob’s slavery in Egypt and Judah’s move to Canaan.
There is also a TON of embedded Scripture. While dialogue is not eclusively from the Bible, I noticed a lot of the characters’ lines were taken right out of the text.
Spiritual Themes
As with the original biblical narrative about Joseph, one of the main themes is reconciliation and forgiveness. There is also emphasis on living upright in the sight of the Lord, regardless of whether or not you can “get away with” doing something wrong.
Half of the narrative is about Judah, and the author uses this section to flesh out the parable of the prodigal son. In spite of the title, I didn’t really expect that angle, but that was a really cool inclusion in the story. In his time away from home, Judah begins calling on the God of his fathers.
What I Liked
I discovered this title awhile before it came out and, when I had the opportunity to join the blogger team, I was excited to receive my copy. I haven’t read a lot of biblical fiction and had been wanting to read more. For me, this book was a very enjoyable sample of the genre.
My favorite aspect of the book is its overall immersiveness. I don’t just mean this in the sense of being transported to the setting– although that is true of the book. I felt immersed in the sense of getting to know the individual characters (real life people, but ficitionalized as book characters). And while a lot is necesarily speculative in a work of fiction, the author also does an excellent job of “connecting the dots” between biblical stories. Events that I usually think of as unconnected “Bible stories” (due to section titles and chapter breaks) became threads in a larger narrative. Scripturally speaking, that makes sense, given the ordering of the text. After all, the story of Judah and Tamar is embedded into Joseph’s larger narrative. While I usually think of this episode as an interruption, Smith’s novel really contextualizes the connection.
I liked the amount of Scripture embedded, throughout. Although I recognize that this was a fictional rendering of the accounts, the novel felt very consistent with the order and events of Scripture. Even the characters’ personalities felt consistent with the characters’ actions, as defined in Scripture.
Smith captures some important nuances, in her storytelling, conveying the significance of certain biblical details. For example, Joseph is “the prince” mentioend in the title, and we learn that the coat Joseph had made for him was more befitting of royalty. Smith also draws attention to the division specifically between the sons of Rachel and the sons of Leah. While I usually just think of “Joseph and his brothers,” it makes sense that there would have been differing levels of privilege and status based on whether a son was born to a wife or a concubine.
I enjoyed the secondary characters that Smith introduced. Many of these characters are people we see in Scripture, but know very little about. For example, there are a few lines in Joseph’s story about a steward who questioned his brothers, but we aren’t given much detail about this person. Smith fleshes out the character, and we get to know him, throughout the book. Descriptions and events involving the character reasonably align with the biblical narrative.
I was really impressed with the way that Smith intertwined Joseph and Judah’s stories. Like I mentioned above, this was not something that I saw coming, but it was so neat to see how this played out. I enjoyed reading so much about Judah, because I haven’t given a lot of thought to Judah, himself. Usually, when I think of Judah, I am thinking about his descendants. It was neat to chart his life journey in a way I hadn’t before.
Content
The nice thing about reviewing biblical fiction is that I can allude to specific “plot points” without being spoilery.
As in the Biblical narrative, there are several subplots revolving around mature content:
(reference to) The rape of Dinah, attack of Shechem*
Joseph and Potipher’s wife
Judah and Tamar
However, there was also some unexpected content: Judah’s wedding scene. Obviously, we know from the Bible that Judah was married and had children. As a heads-up, the reader actually enters Judah’s bridal chamber.
For this reason, I ended up skimming Joseph’s marriage scene.
As readers, we also witness Tamar’s relationships with her husbands— Judah’s sons. These were some really intense scenes because the author portrays the marriage scenes as sexual abuse. I do think that makes sense, given the Biblical narrative.
In addition, there is also a scene portraying the evil of child sacrifice.
Overall, most of the “Content” I referenced is just consistent with Scripture. However, the Judah-and-his-wife scene was more detailed than Scripture— although this particular Scripture is pretty clear about how Judah’s sons came to be.
Angle
I asterisked one content note above, because this was one element that I felt the author drew a stance that perhaps went a step beyond Scripture. Overall, she presents Levi and Simeon’s actions in Shechem as a bad thing, with Dinah even wishing she could have married Shechem. I do see Scriptural backing for various elements of this subplot (for example, Shechem “speaking kindly” to Dinah), the narrative disapproves of the brothers’ actions. The original biblical narrative is certainly nuanced. This just felt like one aspect that the author took her own stance on—which makes sense since this is a work of fiction.
Recommendation Status
I was impressed with the way that Jill Eileen Smith wove together the narratives of two people from the Bible in an immersive story. I also understand that, because this is a fictionalized work, there are some additions/speculations that may slightly deviate from Scripture.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I’d recommend it for adult audiences, with reader discretion. As referenced in the Content section, there was some surprising material that was more graphic than I expected, as well as some very painful thematic content.
February 1, 2022
“But I suppose sometimes hardship is what leads us to seek the things we’ve always known were true.”
Jill Eileen Smith always brings the Bible to life and I thoroughly enjoyed this epic thirty somewhat year journey with Joseph. But this book is not just about Joseph; it’s also about Judah - thus the title The Prince and the Prodigal. I had never paid much attention to Judah having left his family after selling Joseph and what transpired afterwards. Judah’s account gave me a fresh perspective on how Judah must have matured through his hardships to become the man who faces Joseph in Egypt with integrity and humility.
The book is a little different in that there are many voices narrating the story. Joseph and Judah have the strongest voices, but Jacob, Reuben, Dinah, Tamar and Asenath also tell parts of the story that make the plot much richer. The author has a way of transporting the reader into her book that one can smell and taste the flatbread and stew, touch and hear the goats and sheep grazing, and see the magnificence of the Pharaoh’s holdings. It’s such a familiar story yet made new by the author’s incredible storytelling; it definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for Joseph’s faith, Judah’s renewed commitment to family, and Jacob’s trials and heartaches.
I received the book from Baker Publishing Group via Interviews and Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.
Jill Eileen Smith always brings the Bible to life and I thoroughly enjoyed this epic thirty somewhat year journey with Joseph. But this book is not just about Joseph; it’s also about Judah - thus the title The Prince and the Prodigal. I had never paid much attention to Judah having left his family after selling Joseph and what transpired afterwards. Judah’s account gave me a fresh perspective on how Judah must have matured through his hardships to become the man who faces Joseph in Egypt with integrity and humility.
The book is a little different in that there are many voices narrating the story. Joseph and Judah have the strongest voices, but Jacob, Reuben, Dinah, Tamar and Asenath also tell parts of the story that make the plot much richer. The author has a way of transporting the reader into her book that one can smell and taste the flatbread and stew, touch and hear the goats and sheep grazing, and see the magnificence of the Pharaoh’s holdings. It’s such a familiar story yet made new by the author’s incredible storytelling; it definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for Joseph’s faith, Judah’s renewed commitment to family, and Jacob’s trials and heartaches.
I received the book from Baker Publishing Group via Interviews and Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.
February 23, 2022
This was a beautiful story. I am giving this a 4.5 star rating. I love the way Jill Eileen Smith writes her stories and weaves scripture with fiction so beautifully. Having never read a story on Joseph, I was excited to see how this would unveil and let me say I cried for Joseph and was constantly angry with his idiotic brothers and their attitudes towards him.
Joseph was such a sweet kid. He was given a terrible hand, but God turned it around for his good. Seeing him go through, question God and still have faith was encouraging to see. He made the best of his life in his situations and never once lost his character, until the very end of the story when he met his brothers.
Judah and Reuben were frustrating to me. I get what Reuben wanted to do, but what he allowed was terrible. Judah was just annoying, entitled and downright disgusting with how he acted toward Joseph. Even with his sons he irritated me. Seeing what happened between him and Tamar intrigued me.
Jacob wasn't the best father. Yes, he loved Rachel the most, but he acted as if he didn't have 11 other sons in his life. He pretended that Joseph and Benjamin were his only sons leaving the ones from Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah to feel some type of way. Picking favorites never ends well with children.
Dinah was such a sweet girl. I enjoyed her being in the story and hearing about her story from scripture and seeing how she may have felt after the ordeal.
Hamid was a great friend for Joseph during his time in Egypt. I thoroughly enjoyed his character and felt bad for him as well. Potiphar was a man stuck between a hard place due to his position and his wife's father. I felt bad for him. Aneksi was trifling just like Er and Onan were.
The use of scripture was amazing! I was able to easily connect certain scenes and lines with verses from Genesis without a problem. It shows how much time and effort that Jill took into crafting this story.
I would highly recommend it, but keep in mind you will cry and be angry more than you will laugh and swoon. Have tissues prepared as you will weep both tears of sadness and anger.
Joseph was such a sweet kid. He was given a terrible hand, but God turned it around for his good. Seeing him go through, question God and still have faith was encouraging to see. He made the best of his life in his situations and never once lost his character, until the very end of the story when he met his brothers.
Judah and Reuben were frustrating to me. I get what Reuben wanted to do, but what he allowed was terrible. Judah was just annoying, entitled and downright disgusting with how he acted toward Joseph. Even with his sons he irritated me. Seeing what happened between him and Tamar intrigued me.
Jacob wasn't the best father. Yes, he loved Rachel the most, but he acted as if he didn't have 11 other sons in his life. He pretended that Joseph and Benjamin were his only sons leaving the ones from Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah to feel some type of way. Picking favorites never ends well with children.
Dinah was such a sweet girl. I enjoyed her being in the story and hearing about her story from scripture and seeing how she may have felt after the ordeal.
Hamid was a great friend for Joseph during his time in Egypt. I thoroughly enjoyed his character and felt bad for him as well. Potiphar was a man stuck between a hard place due to his position and his wife's father. I felt bad for him. Aneksi was trifling just like Er and Onan were.
The use of scripture was amazing! I was able to easily connect certain scenes and lines with verses from Genesis without a problem. It shows how much time and effort that Jill took into crafting this story.
I would highly recommend it, but keep in mind you will cry and be angry more than you will laugh and swoon. Have tissues prepared as you will weep both tears of sadness and anger.
February 8, 2022
I thought it was a really good book. The author told the story about Joseph in a more modern way. She wrote it in such a way that it gave lessons from the bible but not sound so preachy that people who are not Christians would not want to read it. Jill portrayed all of the characters in a way that gave all of them a personality. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a good christian book.
Read
February 5, 2022I've read several books by the author. And what I really like about her books is there very Christian-based but I don't feel like they're preachy. I love reading about biblical times! And I love how she re-creates The characters and brings them to life! And she keeps it very interesting, or I thought so. So if you like those kind of books I would definitely recommend this book!
December 24, 2021
I received this book as an ARC from Revell in a LibraryThing giveaway - I like her writing style (have read her books before) - well researched and written to hold your interest to the end - life style explained - you feel as you know each charcater - a biblical fiction with tragedy, love, hope, and forgiveness -
July 28, 2022
So good 😭 Even though I’ve studied the story of Joseph and knew how it ended, this is written in such a way that it stirs your emotions and really takes you through everything he went through in each season of his story, leaving you wanting to read one more chapter! I had to get tissue for the last couple of chapters because I was definitely bawling! This is such a well written biblical fiction book. I’m so glad I read it because this is one book I believe will stay with me. Also, this was my first time reading a book by Jill Eileen Smith and I will definitely be reading more from her!
February 2, 2022
I love Jill Eileen Smith’s biblical retellings! I always come away from reading her books with more sympathy and greater understanding. She expertly brings biblical figures to life with fabulous storytelling, meticulous detail, and historical accuracy. The story of Joseph and his coat of many colors has been a favorite since childhood, but I never paid much attention to Judah’s story. Ms. Smith shares a compelling comparison between the two brothers by showing what happened to both of them after Judah encouraged his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery. It’s an amazing story of jealousy, betrayal, family dysfunction, forgiveness, and redemption.
There were so many things I didn’t realize I missed about this story and found myself turning to the Bible to double check the story. I should know by now that I didn’t need to because of the author’s careful attention to detail. I was surprised by Judah’s story in particular. After selling Joseph into slavery, he leaves his family to go to Canaan and experiences several tragic events which change his perspective and faith, ultimately leading to his redemption and seeking Joseph’s forgiveness.
The lesser known characters bring even more depth and emotion to the story. Readers are treated to several different perspectives besides Joseph and Judah. I loved reading from Asenath’s, Dinah’s, and Tamar’s points of view. The majority of women were treated so poorly in those times and it was interesting to see the story from their perspectives.
Ms. Smith doesn’t hold back from sharing the accurate somewhat salacious aspects of the story, but she does so tastefully with minimal detail. There are brief mentions of abuse, violence, and promiscuity sensitive readers might want to be aware of.
If you are a historical fiction fan or love biblical retellings, Jill Eileen Smith is a master at maintaining historical accuracy while breathing new life into these well known stories. Highly recommend this book! I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
There were so many things I didn’t realize I missed about this story and found myself turning to the Bible to double check the story. I should know by now that I didn’t need to because of the author’s careful attention to detail. I was surprised by Judah’s story in particular. After selling Joseph into slavery, he leaves his family to go to Canaan and experiences several tragic events which change his perspective and faith, ultimately leading to his redemption and seeking Joseph’s forgiveness.
The lesser known characters bring even more depth and emotion to the story. Readers are treated to several different perspectives besides Joseph and Judah. I loved reading from Asenath’s, Dinah’s, and Tamar’s points of view. The majority of women were treated so poorly in those times and it was interesting to see the story from their perspectives.
Ms. Smith doesn’t hold back from sharing the accurate somewhat salacious aspects of the story, but she does so tastefully with minimal detail. There are brief mentions of abuse, violence, and promiscuity sensitive readers might want to be aware of.
If you are a historical fiction fan or love biblical retellings, Jill Eileen Smith is a master at maintaining historical accuracy while breathing new life into these well known stories. Highly recommend this book! I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
February 21, 2022
So the first book I ever read by Jill was Rachel and I LOVED it. So it was fun to read this book about her son, Joseph. I have always loved Joseph story. How God meant all the hardship he went through for good (Genesis 50:20).
This book was excellent. It’s hard to read it and remember, aside from the scripture references, this is merely Jill’s imagination of what might have happened. I love how we have Judah’s story in here too and his trouble with his sons and Tamar.
If you enjoy Biblical fiction I have no doubt that you will love this book as much as I did.
A copy of this book was given to me through the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This book was excellent. It’s hard to read it and remember, aside from the scripture references, this is merely Jill’s imagination of what might have happened. I love how we have Judah’s story in here too and his trouble with his sons and Tamar.
If you enjoy Biblical fiction I have no doubt that you will love this book as much as I did.
A copy of this book was given to me through the publisher. All opinions are my own.
February 22, 2022
I have always loved the Bible story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. I have always try to look at things the way Joseph did in Genesis 51.
January 3, 2022
I received an ARC through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Group. As far as I remember, I have not read this author before.
If you are familiar with the Bible Story of Joseph or "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", the main plot points of this book won't be a surprise to you. I wondered if that was why it took me so long to get into the story. The story also took a bit of time to get to the point where Joseph is given the coat and then his brothers take the coat and sell him into slavery. I felt like once that event happened, I got more invested in the story.
It was probably a little less than a 4 for me but close to it.
If you are familiar with the Bible Story of Joseph or "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", the main plot points of this book won't be a surprise to you. I wondered if that was why it took me so long to get into the story. The story also took a bit of time to get to the point where Joseph is given the coat and then his brothers take the coat and sell him into slavery. I felt like once that event happened, I got more invested in the story.
It was probably a little less than a 4 for me but close to it.
January 17, 2022
This one took me a little bit to get into as the writing style was a bit different than I'm used to, but once I got into it, I was able to read it in about a day. I disagreed with the author on some minor theological points, which aren't worth mentioning as I can't verify if I'm correct or she is, but that did impact my take on the book and ability to get into it. When all was said and done, this was an interesting story about the time of Joseph - going from viewpoints of Joseph, Judah and Dinah. Some of the dialogue I recognized as being taken directly from scripture, which I always appreciate in biblical fiction. I did appreciate the author's take on the feelings that motivated the various actions in the scriptures and some of the unknown elements. This one came at a good time as I'm currently reading Genesis in my daily Bible reading, so I was able to connect my Bible reading with the biblical fiction I was reading, which is always the best way to do it. I love biblical fiction because it brings the scriptures to life for me and this one was no different in that regard. Special thanks to Revell and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.
March 11, 2022
I’ve always enjoyed Jill Eileen Smith’s books, and The Prince and the Prodigal does not disappoint. If you’re familiar with the story of Joseph in Genesis, you likely already know the outline – Joseph, the favored son, is sold to a caravan of traders by his older brothers, ends up as a slave in Egypt, and after many years, finds himself second only to Pharaoh, well placed to help his family survive a devastating famine. But you may not know much about Judah other than his name and the fact that he was one of Joseph’s brothers.
Here, Smith fleshes out the scriptural account of Joseph, and she also provides an engrossing account of the life of Judah, his older brother. When you read the words on the page of your Bible, you get the gist of the story. Smith brings those words to life in vivid detail.
It had never occurred to me that perhaps Joseph didn’t enjoy being the favored son. Here, he’s portrayed as a young man who wants to learn from his father and grandfather and share the faith that is so important to them, but who’s deeply troubled at the rift his father’s affection for him causes between him and his brothers. Smith’s writing made him a much more sympathetic character for me. He was more than just the snot-nosed favorite who seemed to lord it over his siblings by telling him about his dreams and how they’d bow to him someday.
And never once had it crossed my mind how Judah might have felt after he and his brothers made the call, first, to toss Joseph into a pit and leave him for dead, and then to pull him out of the pit and sell him to slavers. And then to go home and lie to their father about what happened after that? The guilt must have been crushing. It’s no wonder he ran off and lived in Canaan for a good long while. He fled from facing his father, and ran from his father’s God, too.
Smith draws a wonderful portrait of both Joseph and Judah doing their best to seek (or in Judah’s case, find) God in the midst of their struggles. Joseph believes in God, but often can’t fathom why God has put him in a foreign land, in a prison, in a situation where he isn’t free to leave and go home. Judah has resisted the God of his father, yet God still finds him, even far from home, and restores the things that have been broken. The picture for both of them is of a loving God leading them through difficulty if they will just trust and follow and keep doing the next right thing. The story closes on a beautiful note of redemption and restoration, and I’ll tell ya, I needed a tissue or two.
If you enjoy a good work of historical fiction with a clear emphasis on faith in and reliance on God, with well-written characters and a world described so well you feel like you could step right into the pages, you’ll love The Prince and the Prodigal. Five stars from me.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, Revell. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
Here, Smith fleshes out the scriptural account of Joseph, and she also provides an engrossing account of the life of Judah, his older brother. When you read the words on the page of your Bible, you get the gist of the story. Smith brings those words to life in vivid detail.
It had never occurred to me that perhaps Joseph didn’t enjoy being the favored son. Here, he’s portrayed as a young man who wants to learn from his father and grandfather and share the faith that is so important to them, but who’s deeply troubled at the rift his father’s affection for him causes between him and his brothers. Smith’s writing made him a much more sympathetic character for me. He was more than just the snot-nosed favorite who seemed to lord it over his siblings by telling him about his dreams and how they’d bow to him someday.
And never once had it crossed my mind how Judah might have felt after he and his brothers made the call, first, to toss Joseph into a pit and leave him for dead, and then to pull him out of the pit and sell him to slavers. And then to go home and lie to their father about what happened after that? The guilt must have been crushing. It’s no wonder he ran off and lived in Canaan for a good long while. He fled from facing his father, and ran from his father’s God, too.
Smith draws a wonderful portrait of both Joseph and Judah doing their best to seek (or in Judah’s case, find) God in the midst of their struggles. Joseph believes in God, but often can’t fathom why God has put him in a foreign land, in a prison, in a situation where he isn’t free to leave and go home. Judah has resisted the God of his father, yet God still finds him, even far from home, and restores the things that have been broken. The picture for both of them is of a loving God leading them through difficulty if they will just trust and follow and keep doing the next right thing. The story closes on a beautiful note of redemption and restoration, and I’ll tell ya, I needed a tissue or two.
If you enjoy a good work of historical fiction with a clear emphasis on faith in and reliance on God, with well-written characters and a world described so well you feel like you could step right into the pages, you’ll love The Prince and the Prodigal. Five stars from me.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, Revell. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
March 9, 2022
I'm aware of this author's ability to weave fictional details and biblical history together, but this book has truly made me a believer! Jill Eileen Smith tells the well-known story of Jacob, the special love that he had for his son Joseph, and the intense jealousy that was inspired by Jacob's obvious favoritism. Jacob's other sons allowed their jealousy to turn to hatred and prompted them to commit an act of deceit that forever changed their family and biblical history. I've always been fascinated with Joseph's story, with his coat of many colors, but Smith's imagination has given me a different perspective. As I read it, I could imagine Jacob's grief and I could feel Joseph's fear and disbelief that his brothers would do this to him. Smith offers a stunning depiction of the betrayal, Joseph's indignation that he was now a slave, and his amazement about achieving such prominence in Egypt. Finally, Joseph understands, and believes, that God had truly been guiding him along the way.
Joseph is the prince in this book's title, and the prodigal refers to his brother Judah, who suffers from tremendous guilt. This story suggests what might have happened during the years that Judah was apart from his family, and it's reminiscent of another prodigal son. Judah does decide to return home, but he doesn't know how his father will greet him. His return is emotional, and this is one of many emotional scenes in The Prince and the Prodigal. Smith also includes some unpleasant topics, but she doesn't go into explicit detail, and we certainly know that God's Word also dealt with unpleasant topics!
This is an intriguing look at Joseph's betrayal and Judah's overwhelming guilt, but we also get a look at several others who were part of this history. It's a wonderful introduction to those who aren't familiar with Joseph's story, and it offers a different perspective for those who are. I found myself going back to the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, to read the many chapters that deal with Joseph and his family, and this is meant as a compliment. If you enjoy biblical fiction, you will want to read The Prince and the Prodigal!
I received a copy of this book from Revell. There was no obligation for a favorable review. These are my own thoughts.
Joseph is the prince in this book's title, and the prodigal refers to his brother Judah, who suffers from tremendous guilt. This story suggests what might have happened during the years that Judah was apart from his family, and it's reminiscent of another prodigal son. Judah does decide to return home, but he doesn't know how his father will greet him. His return is emotional, and this is one of many emotional scenes in The Prince and the Prodigal. Smith also includes some unpleasant topics, but she doesn't go into explicit detail, and we certainly know that God's Word also dealt with unpleasant topics!
This is an intriguing look at Joseph's betrayal and Judah's overwhelming guilt, but we also get a look at several others who were part of this history. It's a wonderful introduction to those who aren't familiar with Joseph's story, and it offers a different perspective for those who are. I found myself going back to the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, to read the many chapters that deal with Joseph and his family, and this is meant as a compliment. If you enjoy biblical fiction, you will want to read The Prince and the Prodigal!
I received a copy of this book from Revell. There was no obligation for a favorable review. These are my own thoughts.
February 5, 2022
“The Prince and the Prodigal” is the newest novel by Jill Eileen Smith. It chronicles the stories of Joseph (the prince) and Judah (the prodigal). Without a doubt, the book is incredibly faithful to the Biblical text. It seeks to flesh out the story with this strong backbone.
However, I felt that the book’s greatest strength led to its weaknesses. Part of the beauty of Biblical fiction is that while it closely adheres to the Bible, it also seeks to capture the imagination by taking us into the possible thoughts, feelings, and lives of these human beings. It works to process and understand what these people might have been experiencing during that time-period and draws us into their struggles of faith. It ultimately points us to our Heavenly Father.
The story of Judah in the book fails to accomplish this. We are not given a nuanced picture of led him to his hatred of Joseph or his rejection of God. He flees from his father’s home due to guilt over Joseph and continues to stay away. His eventual turn back to God and his father Jacob is abrupt after the birth of his twin sons by Tamar. For this to be the prodigal story, it needed to have a greater watershed moment.
The story of Joseph is filled with more shades and coloring. We do see him wrestle with his suffering and him trying to understand God’s bigger plan. My biggest pet peeve in this version of the story is of him constantly thinking and referring to himself as a “prince” in Jacob’s family even after his relocation to Egypt. I cannot reconcile that with the culture of Canaan in that time-period, and I feel it does a great disservice to his humility later on in his life.
I have loved Jill Eileen Smith’s books for years. She is one of my favorite Biblical fiction authors. In my opinion this book fell short of her usual excellence. I received a digital copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
However, I felt that the book’s greatest strength led to its weaknesses. Part of the beauty of Biblical fiction is that while it closely adheres to the Bible, it also seeks to capture the imagination by taking us into the possible thoughts, feelings, and lives of these human beings. It works to process and understand what these people might have been experiencing during that time-period and draws us into their struggles of faith. It ultimately points us to our Heavenly Father.
The story of Judah in the book fails to accomplish this. We are not given a nuanced picture of led him to his hatred of Joseph or his rejection of God. He flees from his father’s home due to guilt over Joseph and continues to stay away. His eventual turn back to God and his father Jacob is abrupt after the birth of his twin sons by Tamar. For this to be the prodigal story, it needed to have a greater watershed moment.
The story of Joseph is filled with more shades and coloring. We do see him wrestle with his suffering and him trying to understand God’s bigger plan. My biggest pet peeve in this version of the story is of him constantly thinking and referring to himself as a “prince” in Jacob’s family even after his relocation to Egypt. I cannot reconcile that with the culture of Canaan in that time-period, and I feel it does a great disservice to his humility later on in his life.
I have loved Jill Eileen Smith’s books for years. She is one of my favorite Biblical fiction authors. In my opinion this book fell short of her usual excellence. I received a digital copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
February 25, 2022
This is the first Biblical fiction book covering the story of Joseph that I come across and since I've always loved Joseph's story I was intrigued. I was excited to read this one and I was not disappointed!
Mrs. Smith has done an amazing job telling Joseph's story and many of the events were described almost exactly how I have always imagined them.
I liked that the author provided both Joseph's POV and Judah's, so we get to see what happens back home (Canaan) while Joseph is in Egypt. The book starts right before Joseph is sold into slavery and ends right after he is reunited with his family. I had never wondered how badly Joseph must have been treated by his brothers out of jealousy, this book made me ponder that and what life must have been like for young Joseph. I also love that that author gave Dinah a spot in the story, after what happened to her in Shechem, Scripture doesn't tell us what became of her life. I had never considered how much she must have suffered or that because of what her brothers did, she might have remained unmarried for the rest of her life.
And of course, my favorite part of this story is when Joseph is finally reunited with his family after over 20 years. I always get teary-eyed when I come to this part. Mrs. Smith captures this special moment so beautifully and wonderfully. And Judah's redemption was just amazing! Talk about the ultimate prodigal son example. There are so many lessons to glean from this beautiful Biblical story, you can't go wrong with this one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Mrs. Smith has done an amazing job telling Joseph's story and many of the events were described almost exactly how I have always imagined them.
I liked that the author provided both Joseph's POV and Judah's, so we get to see what happens back home (Canaan) while Joseph is in Egypt. The book starts right before Joseph is sold into slavery and ends right after he is reunited with his family. I had never wondered how badly Joseph must have been treated by his brothers out of jealousy, this book made me ponder that and what life must have been like for young Joseph. I also love that that author gave Dinah a spot in the story, after what happened to her in Shechem, Scripture doesn't tell us what became of her life. I had never considered how much she must have suffered or that because of what her brothers did, she might have remained unmarried for the rest of her life.
And of course, my favorite part of this story is when Joseph is finally reunited with his family after over 20 years. I always get teary-eyed when I come to this part. Mrs. Smith captures this special moment so beautifully and wonderfully. And Judah's redemption was just amazing! Talk about the ultimate prodigal son example. There are so many lessons to glean from this beautiful Biblical story, you can't go wrong with this one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
March 8, 2022
I devoured this book. It is so good!
I can't tell you how many times I have heard that Joseph needed the time as a slave for discipline because of arrogance and pride, etc, before he could be a good ruler. I am glad to say that the author took an entirely different approach!
Joseph in this story is kind, and weary of the constant rejection by his brothers, for Jacob's choices and blatant favoritism. Something that is completely beyond his control. His faith is strong, as he's nurtured it by listening to his father and grandfather tell of God's love and faithfulness. Which is why he isn't destroyed by the years of slavery and prison.
Dinah is wonderful in the story, and I just wanted to hug her several times!
I appreciated Reuben's character, and growth. I think we overlook the fact that he changed, and did not allow his past to define him, but tried to rescue Joseph.
Having just done a deep study of Judah and Tamar, I think it's wonderful the way their story is placed throughout Joseph's. Shifting between Egypt and Hebron and Judah's camp as time passes, we realize how connected each story is. And have a better idea of the timing.
The context, written this way, makes everything so much richer. In the Bible Judah's prodigal years are crammed into one chapter, and almost feels like an interruption, though it's importance is huge. After all, Jesus is from Judah's line, not Joseph's!
I laughed and cried when I was reading it, and I hope you will too!
I received a copy of the book from @netgalley and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.
I can't tell you how many times I have heard that Joseph needed the time as a slave for discipline because of arrogance and pride, etc, before he could be a good ruler. I am glad to say that the author took an entirely different approach!
Joseph in this story is kind, and weary of the constant rejection by his brothers, for Jacob's choices and blatant favoritism. Something that is completely beyond his control. His faith is strong, as he's nurtured it by listening to his father and grandfather tell of God's love and faithfulness. Which is why he isn't destroyed by the years of slavery and prison.
Dinah is wonderful in the story, and I just wanted to hug her several times!
I appreciated Reuben's character, and growth. I think we overlook the fact that he changed, and did not allow his past to define him, but tried to rescue Joseph.
Having just done a deep study of Judah and Tamar, I think it's wonderful the way their story is placed throughout Joseph's. Shifting between Egypt and Hebron and Judah's camp as time passes, we realize how connected each story is. And have a better idea of the timing.
The context, written this way, makes everything so much richer. In the Bible Judah's prodigal years are crammed into one chapter, and almost feels like an interruption, though it's importance is huge. After all, Jesus is from Judah's line, not Joseph's!
I laughed and cried when I was reading it, and I hope you will too!
I received a copy of the book from @netgalley and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.
March 18, 2022
Biblical fiction is one of my favorite genres and Jill Eileen Smith does an excellent job of bringing history to life in her books. The Prince and the Prodigal is no exception. Joseph is one of my favorite characters in the Bible and in fleshing out his story, the author brings readers a thoroughly captivating read. With descriptive prose that makes the reader feel like you are right there in the scenes and realistic dialogue, the author expertly portrays the struggles and the depth of emotions of the characters. I enjoyed the portrayal of Joseph throughout the story, not just seeing him as a man who was continually faithful to Yahweh but as a husband and father as well, a man who knew the depths of desolation and the joy of restoration as well. He knew God was good and nothing would make him deny the One True God. Joseph's brother, Judah, is portrayed as well in this book which I found fascinating. In the many times that I'd read the Biblical account of Joseph, I'd given little thought to the reactions of his brothers. Readers who enjoy Biblical historical fiction will not want to miss The Prince and the Prodigal.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from LibraryThing and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from LibraryThing and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
March 11, 2022
The story of Joseph is well known to me, but I loved how this author was able to embellish fictional details into the Biblical story to craft a tale that came alive. It was fascinating to read Joseph’s intimate thoughts as he wrestles with betrayal, anger, sadness, and finally hope as he sees God’s plan for his life play out. Judah we get to know better as well, with his own guilt and fear being carefully described in the story. Just as the Old Testament does not shy away from harsh truths, so too this author is not shy about some uncomfortable scenes, but I do not think the details are too unpleasant for Christian fiction. I especially liked reading about the forgiveness and hope that were central to the story and loved how the author made these truths applicable to modern life. I enjoy her Biblical fiction writing and will definitely read more by this author!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
March 3, 2022
Prodigal stories are among my favorites, so I went into The Prince and the Prodigal with hard anticipation. I was not disappointed. Anyone who knows the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors will see plenty of the biblical aspects within the novel while also hopefully enjoying the added thrill of fiction that brings this story to life in new and invigorating ways. The imagery the author creates and the passion for story comes through with vivid details and a steady tension that anchors the reader into Joseph's time and draws compassion for history long passed. Excellently crafted and wonderfully storied, this prodigal son tale will enchant as it takes you back in time. I received a copy of this book through Revell Reads and NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
March 10, 2022
Biblical fiction is not one of my go to genres. The few I have read, I think are mostly some Jill's earlier novels. This one caught my eye since it was about Joseph. I mostly enjoyed this book. I liked having a glimpse in to what Joseph's life might have been like and the weaving of Judah's possible experiences as well made for an interesting read/listen. There are a few scenes in the book that are gut punches(at least for me), I realize these scenes were what the culture was like back then and were needed to move the story forward but from my 21st century perspective as a mother, they were hard to stomach. Overall, this was a good read and I will definitely look for more of Jill's stories. Several of her earlier novels are on my TBR pile.
I received this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.
I received this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.
December 27, 2022
I have come to love reading this genre of books that takes the stories of the Bible and creates fictional accounts of them. The authors flesh-out the stories, remaining true to the scripture, similar to how Dallas Jenkins has done with The Chosen. A great book, great story and one I would recommend to others seeking to better understand God and His words as brought to life in the Bible.
This book is an amazing story of God's ability to take our human failures and sew them together to accomplish His plan. Ms. Smith weaves the lives of Joseph and Judah, sons of Jacob/Israel, into a heartfelt story of grace, redemption and forgiveness that is true to the actual story we fine in Genesis. I've read other books like this from several other authors, and they have all done amazing jobs of bringing scripture to life in such a way that I am able to quickly recall those stories to mind.
This book is an amazing story of God's ability to take our human failures and sew them together to accomplish His plan. Ms. Smith weaves the lives of Joseph and Judah, sons of Jacob/Israel, into a heartfelt story of grace, redemption and forgiveness that is true to the actual story we fine in Genesis. I've read other books like this from several other authors, and they have all done amazing jobs of bringing scripture to life in such a way that I am able to quickly recall those stories to mind.
March 23, 2022
Joseph was Jacob's beloved son which his older brother resented. Judah especially hated him. When opportunity came they sold Joseph as a slave to the Ishmaelites who brought him to Egypt. Joseph faced many struggles until he rose in power to be ruler of Egypt. Faced with guilt Judah ran away and sojourned in Canaan. He too faced many struggles. This incredible book brought the well-known story of Joseph and his brothers to a new light. It's a story of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation and of God's work behind the scenes. It's well worth more than five stars and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.
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