Dreamers

Legacies of the Ancient River #1

by Angela Elwell Hunt

Tuya came as a teenaged slave to Potiphar's household, a personal gift from the Pharaoh. Tall and slender, the young girl had eyes that shone like a stream of gold. She knew nothing about her past, except that she had always been a slave.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Historical, Egypt

395 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly six million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 165 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels.

Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.

Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.

Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.

Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.

In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.

Reviews

[Cathy Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this historical novel. According to the author the biblical account of the story of Joseph is not contradicted. And the pharaohs and queens mentioned in the book live in the annals of Egyptian history. The author says the two records of history intersect. This book is a page turner and the first book of a trilogy. The next book is Brothers.

[Amanda Geaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

"Anger is a poison that destroys the soul." (pg. 81)

"I would rather serve a God who cannot lie... A God who is the same today as he was yesterday, and will still be the same tomorrow." (pg. 82)

"I appreciate your kindness, but I must disagree," Joseph answered. "I have found that faith is a higher faculty than reason. Though, of course, faith is only as strong as the object in which it is placed." (pg. 86)

"He set a dream in my heart and has called me away from the bosom of my father. Now He bids me trust Him." (pg. 92)

"Remember this, my son—a patient man is better than a warrior. A man who controls his desires is stronger than one who rules a city." (pg. 103)

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A statement I questioned:
"Abraham was not the only one put to the test, Joseph answered... God was also. Abraham tested the strength and goodness of God."

God test Abraham (Gen 22) and later his faith was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:9; Romans 4:22; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23; Genesis 15:6; Titus 3:8). Did Abraham test God? I don't believe so, I read only that Abraham believed and Abraham trusted.

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Hebrews 11:18

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Overall, a very well written story. The main characters and their motives were fleshed out well. I wish the author had included an Author's note in the back to explain some of her creative choices. Perhaps she has done so in her updated version of this book. I will likely read the re-released versions of books 2 and 3 since they are available for free to kindle unlimited subscribers.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Update** The prior review holds true. This book survives round two of the purge from my personal collection.

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.

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected this to follow the original much more closely, but the author took plenty of unwelcome license with the story of Joseph (Genesis Joseph; not NT Joseph). Things like Potiphor being Tuya's slaveowner instead of Asenath's father; Asenath being merely mentioned later in the book; and other close-but-off-just-enough-to-keep-me-confused things. The entire read felt wonky.

After being sold into slavery by his brothers out of jealousy of their father's favoritism, Joseph meets and falls in love with fellow slave Tuya before schemers cause them to be separated once and for all. Angela Hunt uses the story of Coat-of-Many-Colors Joseph to tell her own parable: keep your first love at arm's length until you set them aside for your true love, which might take decades. Oh, and you might not realize your true love when you meet them, either. Fine. Okay; Bible people lived for hundreds and hundreds of years, so maybe keeping someone waiting in the wings so long might not have been that cruel. Maybe.

Then, right at the very end, AEH highjacked the HEA out from under me (I mean, it's Christian FICTION after all, and if there's ever a place to take some license...)! Nope, didn't happen. This book is highly overrated at 4.39 stars, imo.

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the back cover: Though as naturally elegant as any queen, Tuya came as a teenaged slave to Potiphar's household, a personal gift from the mighty Pharaoh. Tall and slender, the young girl had eyes that shone like a stream of gold in the fading light, and her face was as perfectly chiseled as the statues in the finest temples. She knew nothing of her past, except that she had always been a slave.

Another young slave came to Potiphar, purchased from traveling Midianites. Though stained with dust and fatigue, Joseph seemed lighted from within. Indomitable pride was carved into that handsome face, along with intelligence and hard-bitten strength. If harnessed properly, Potiphar envisioned that this lad would pull more than his share of the work load.

In the household of the captain of Pharaoh's guard, Tuya and Joseph come to share their dreams of better things-of freedom-and of love. But as quickly as their destinies seem to entwine, they are torn apart. Will the dreams they share destroy them both?

My comments: I read this years ago and loved it. You'll recognize Joseph as Jacob's son, he of the technicolor dreamcoat, who was beaten by his brothers for being his father's favorite and then sold as a slave. The Christian Bible tells us that after interpreting Pharaoh's dreams of famine, he managed to save the Egyptians from starvation through a long drought. When they heard that Egypt wasn't suffering like the other lands, Joseph's brothers traveled to beg for food. Unknowingly, they were brought before Joseph, who tested them to make sure they weren't the same hateful men they used to be. This novel, however, is set shortly after Joseph's slavery begins, and ends right when his brothers appear, so that it fills in the gaps not in the Bible. Well-written and intriguing, this book isn't overly religious, though Hunt is a Christian novelist. When I read it, I thought it was amazing.

[Mae Clair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoyed Angela Hunt's work. While this is a well-told story, I admit to being disappointed in how much the fictional parts of the book took precedence over the Biblical accounts. The same holds true with the many fictional characters. The story-telling is exceptional, but the overall plot seemed more focused on fictional characters rather than on Joseph and his relationship with the Lord.

I did become immersed in the lives of the many characters, but felt the first half of the novel spent too much time dwelling on the lives on Tuya, Ramla, and Sagira---as if the story was about characters set in Joseph's world, rather than being a story about Joseph. I enjoyed the second half of the book much better and felt that was also when Joseph's relationship with God was more strongly addressed. I'm hoping book two, Brothers, will focus more on Joseph rather than the fictional characters in his orbit. Of special note, I must mention the character of Prince Abayomi/Pharaoh Tuthmosis who stole my heart. Overall rating, 3.5 rounded up to 4 for reviews.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very convincing recreation of ancient Egypt. Immensely readable, Ms Hunt employs her usual skill in bringing Biblical characters and stories to life. She takes the Bible narrative and weaves a compelling story, adding characters of her own.

I’ve read several of this author’s books now, and will definitely read more. However, this one has the same tendency I’ve noted in others, which is the uneven passage of time. Her books all seem to cover many years, sometimes the transition is handled well but occasionally it feels as if too many years and some of the relationships are being skimmed over.

Having said that, Ms Hunt has written a wonderful depiction of Yosef, and she’s created some lovely characters. There’s never a wrong note in her characterisation. The bond between Yosef and Tuya is beautifully written, as is the relationship between Tuya and her eventual husband . Which makes the ending bittersweet. I’ll have to read the next in the series to see what happens next to Tuya, although the next one is about one of Yosef’s brothers.

[Emmy Ishihara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up
didn't go in the direction I was expecting, there was all this buildup promising that Tuya was actually secretly not going to have been born a slave and have some mysterious past in the excerpt and little hints...and nothing happened, but I'm not all that mad about it. not fantastic but it managed to escape a few major cliches so this was better than I thought it would be.

[Jodi Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this familiar story from the perspective of a slave in Potiphar's house! I'm excited to read the next two books in this series.

[Debbie Papner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say I enjoyed this book and knowing the story of Joseph from the Bible. The Bible doesn't mention the names of women from this book Now to read the 2nd book of this series

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunt gives us an entirely different perspective of Joseph, of the Old Testament. She focuses this book on his sojourn from the time he is taken by the Egyptians as a slave after his brothers sell him through his marriage to Asenath in Egypt. Her historical research into the various Pharoahs of this time period along with his master, Potiphar, as well as her Biblical foundation make for a wonderful read. She fills your senses with the sights and sounds of Egypt and draws lovely pictures of the city of this time period. I especially loved the relationship between Joseph and Tuya during their time as slaves. Their encouragement, support, and care for one another definitely made me hope for something more between them; but God's plans were not man's.

Recommend for readers of Biblical fiction particularly the Book of Genesis.

[Godly Gadfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Biblical fiction? – more fictional than Biblical! (2.5 stars)

“Dreamers” is the first volume of a trilogy of books based on the life of Joseph. But the Biblical story-line is only a starting-point for Hunt, as she weaves the Scriptural account with various fictional characters and events to make a wonderful story. “Dreamers” describes Joseph being brought to Egypt as a slave, his rise to power in Potiphar’s household, his imprisonment after being unjustly accused of adultery, and his subsequent rise to the second-highest in command in Egypt. The book can also be read as the story of the fictional Tuya, Joseph’s fellow slave and lover. What can you expect from this book?

Weaknesses – the Biblical part

1. The Egyptian chronology is inaccurate. Although there is little consensus concerning precise dates for Egyptian chronology, most scholars agree that the Exodus occurred some time during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. The pharaohs described by Hunt (Thutmosis III, Amenhotep II, Thutmosis IV, and Amenhotep III) are certainly historical figures, but it is more likely that these were the pharaohs from around the time of the Exodus, 400 years later. If traditional Egyptian chronology is correct, Joseph rose to prominence in Egypt hundreds of years prior to the rise of the figures portrayed in "Dreamers.” Hunt could at least have acknowledged that she was following a revisionist Egyptian chronology that departs from the scholarly consensus.

2. Embellishment of the Biblical narrative. No doubt Hunt would be the first to remind us that her novels are not a speculative picture of what might have happened to Joseph, but are rather a fictional account. Certain aspects of the story line are clearly inventions of the author (e.g. specific injuries suffered by Joseph in the pit, his romance with Tuya, Potiphar’s impotence and suicide, other revelatory dreams). I felt distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of a fictional embellishment of Scriptural truth, and personally question the legitimacy of “Biblical fiction” a genre.

3. Weak theology. The romance between Joseph and Tuya is central to the novel, but absent from Scripture. Hunt’s constant focus on romance and love as a feeling is more a reflection of our modern secular time than of Scripture. Many readers may enjoy this aspect, but I find it sad that a writer needs to borrow secular concepts from our contemporary pagan culture to make Biblical fiction effective. Hunt departs even further from the Bible by having Joseph unashamedly fall in love with and pledge to marry his fellow slave, who does at this time not share his belief in the invisible and true God. Joseph’s behaviour in this regard is a sharp departure from that of his father Jacob and grandfather Isaac, who both went to great lengths to ensure that their wives were from a believing family. Hunt presents Joseph as unwavering in his desire to obey God, but she plainly ignores a clear command found throughout Scripture and plainly evident also in the life of Joseph’s ancestors: that marrying an unbeliever is disobedience to God.

4. Religious pluralism. By attributing prophetic and miraculous powers to the Egyptian gods (e.g. an Egyptian god enables his pagan priestess to prophesy Joseph’s rise to power p.186, and an Egyptian god speaks to the Egyptian prince and promises to make him king p.249), Hunt gives the impression that she departs from monotheism by regarding El Shaddai the invisible God as merely higher and better than other gods. Hunt’s picture is different than that found in Scripture, where other gods are portrayed as useless and non-existent (Isaiah 44:6-20). Certainly the Bible does speak of demonic powers that are at work behind the powerless gods of wood and stone, but this is not the way Hunt presents it.

Strengths – the fictional part

1. Superb story-telling. Despite the fact that most readers are already familiar with the story of Joseph, the reader is not hampered by a predictable plot. Even readers familiar with the Bible (and thus know the basic outcome), will find this novel enthralling. Hunt’s story-telling abilities shine through constantly, resulting in a gripping and powerful story that you will find hard to put down.

2. Magnificent setting. The Egyptian culture is portrayed in rich and vivid colours, complete with its landscape, religion, social customs and beliefs. Reading this books is a wonderful way to obtain a picture of life in Egypt, and your knowledge and understanding of ancient Egypt will grow without ever you getting the idea that you are on the receiving end of a dry lecture. Even the metaphors and similes used by Hunt are appropriately Egyptian, and all aspects of the book have an Egyptian flavour – an altogether remarkable achievement!

Should you buy or read this book? Do not expect a faithful representation of Joseph’s life. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea of Biblical fiction, then reading this book will leave you with a nagging dissatisfaction. But if you are prepared to try to overlook the fact that this book is based on a Biblical story-line and read it as an entirely fictional work, you will find it a most thrilling and enjoyable read. I am not eager to rush out and read the other books of this series, but Hunt’s story-telling abilities have whetted my appetite for sampling some of her other contributions to the Christian fiction genre. I am optimistic that these other efforts will be more satisfying than the Biblical fiction of “Dreamers.”

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much better then I expected, even though it was nothing like I had expected. At the start, I thought I got had an idea where the book was heading. After a ton on twists and turns. I was let with an amazing story that really illustrates that God works all things together for good.
I love the flawed yet good man they made Joseph.
Simply because of what the story involves, I think this book would be best enjoyed by 18 and up.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this book right after high school and remembered liking it, so I decided to read it again. Although a few of the author's metaphores are used multiple times ("tears jeweled her lashes"), the book has an intriguing storyline that makes it hard to put down. I enjoyed the insight into ancient Egyptian culture and ritual as well as the spin on the biblical story of Joseph.

[Angel Coleman 😇 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with any Angela Hunt book I read, I’m usually left feeling obsessed with the time period I just came out of reading about. That’s how good her books are! Her historical details always grab my attention, and leave me breathless. Perhaps the only thing about the book which left me feeling unsatisfied was the romance...but at least they end up together in the end!

[Margo Berendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think this is a spoiler, but this book only follows the life of Joseph up until he becomes second to Pharaoh and the first few years of the famine; it doesn't include anything about how his brothers show up in Egypt. So because I was expecting the story to end with the brothers, it startled me when it ended before they ever show up.

Nevertheless, it was a really good ending. I'm pretty impressed with how the author weaves the story with the truths from Genesis intact, but embellishing much more about Potiphar and Pharaoh. I was hoping she would explain in the author notes why she chose two of the three pharaohs named Tutmosis to be rulers of Joseph's time in Egypt, but this is an older book, perhaps written when archaeological thoughts about the Egyptian and Biblical timelines were different. One source I found says Joseph was in Egypt during the reign of Senusret II (1894-1878 BCE) and Senusret III (1878-1839 BC), this seems to be the best match to the Biblical timeline based on Scriptures based on Deut 34:7, Judges 11:26, I Kings 6:1 and archaeological evidence such as the Merneptah Stele.

Anyway, Tuya is an interesting character - not mentioned in the Bible - that the author fits into Joseph's (called Yosef in this story, which is actually how his name is spelled/pronounced in Hebrew) all Potiphar's, and the Pharaohs' lives. She's a slave to Segira, Potiphar's wife. Joseph teaches her much of his God, El Shaddai, but she continues to follow her Egyptian gods until... well, that would be a spoiler. There is a beautiful story of redemption woven into this novel, with an unexpected character.

My favorite quotes:

He had learned many things during six years of imprisonment. He had come to understand that humility was more precious to God than success, and a man's reactions were often more important than his actions.

And this one, when Joseph recounts the story of God requiring Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac:

Tuya frowned, unable to understand the point of the story. "If your god is all mighty and all knowing, why did he test this Avraham?"

"Avraham was not put to the test." Yosef looked up at her with an invitation in the depths of his eyes. "God was. Avraham tested the strength and goodness of El Shaddai."

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fascinating take on Joseph's story, and it made me realise anew how incredible God is and how epic Joseph's life was. Like favourite son betrayed by his own BROTHERS to a slave to a prisoner to the second most powerful man in the world at the time?? CRAZY. I also really liked how Angela Hunt interwove the factual history of Egypt including all the Pharaohs in this biblical narrative. The way that Hunt portrayed Potiphah's wife was particularly interesting and gave me a new perspective instead of simply judging her as the person who tried to entice Joseph.

I think the story progressed through the years well and I genuinely really liked how the story ended especially regard to Tuya and Joseph's relationship. It was realistic which I very much appreciated.

Overall, loved this book especially as I could see how Angela Hunt's writing has developed from when she wrote this to her more recent series.

[Teresa Maziarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful interpretation of the Bible story of Joseph. I was not expecting a)such a faithful adherence to the original Bible story b)such profound insight into Joseph's personal inner journey!! Beautifully and prayerfully woven into the Bible story. The book's description on Kindle led me to think that Hunt must not have really understood the story if she thought that Joseph was a "proud man" - I always thought he was humble because of the way he was able to forgive his brothers, accept God's plan in being enslaved...but WHOA, I never imagined what his journey to humility would look like! Seriously still pondering over here and taking favorite quotes from this book to my personal prayer time.

[Nyla Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page-Turner

Dreamers, Book 1 in the Legacies of the Ancient River Series, is a biblical fiction novel that captured my attention from the very beginning. It is the story of Joseph and sticks closely to scriptural accounts. The author expertly gives her perception on what might have happened as she takes readers back in time to Egypt and the pharaohs.
This book had me verifying things with my Bible. It brought scripture alive for me. I highly recommend this amazing book. It gets a 5 star rating from me.

[Abrah J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all I enjoyed this Biblical/Historical fiction about what happened to Joseph after his brothers sold him.

We’re really not told much about Joseph during that time outside of him being jailed after being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife. And then his interpretations of his dreams that eventually led to his freedom and to become Pharoah’s right hand man.

This book did a great job of filling in what could’ve happened.

I took away a star because as it went on, there were some parts of the book that dragged on and were boring.

[Carol Rittelmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings Bible stories to life!

Angela Hunt has written many books, and I have loved each one that I have read, but her historical fiction books about Biblical times are my favorites. She does a great amount of research into the settings, lifestyles, places and characters. I can picture the scenes and love the complexity of the characters. Her books do not veer from the Bible's accounts, but they include background and descriptions which add to our understanding of it.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excitement, drama in Pharaoh’s court. Not just the story of Joseph retold. There were other characters introduced to make the story fresh and intriguing. I’m not one to read retelling of Bible stories very often since they don’t have surprise endings. This was different. Joseph was only a small part of the story that unfolds here. Three dimensional characters with in depth plots related to Joseph’s life and life in Egypt make this book stand above others.

[Rene Maloon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different take

A different take on an age old story. Even though I know the story from the Bible, Angela Hunt put a new spin on this . I could not put it down. The descriptions were so good I felt I was there in the splendor of Egypt. The love story kept unfolding. TUYA was the principal focus. She saw things in a different light and i was impressed . Thank you for a clean and beautiful book.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had my doubts when I picked up this book to read but this book was a real page-turner for me! I am so glad I had extra time to read this last couple of weeks because all I could think about was getting back to reading this. I have always loved the story of Joseph and this just had a real interesting twist to the story. I would definitely read this book again.

[Alissa Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, very well written

This was a well written book. It was a lovely story. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and is fascinated with the times written back in the days of the pharaohs as well as the old testament. It is a beautifully written love story as well as one of perseverance. Read this book and you will not regret it.

[jeannette Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean38no

Interesting reading bringing the story of Joseph to life in a book of fiction. I liked the story . I do remember the story of Joseph from the Bible. I was always interested in Joseph as it seemed that how it is explained that Israelites came to Egypt and substantially became slaves to the Egyptians.

[Angel Cockayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

Great job infusing so much of Egyptian history and culture into the story. Great job creating a fictional story that falls so in line with the pieces of the puzzle that we do know to be true about Joseph’s story. Great read!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very different version of the story of Joseph, son of Jacob. While being true to the Bible's history, this story added many unexpected elements. It was very good, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angela Hunt has written about Joseph's many trials throughout his younger life and what possibly may have happened. An interesting read and actually made the things in the Bible seem much more realistic.

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing tale set in Egypt with Joseph from the bible as a main character. The message about pride is strong and it’s shown when Joseph is in prison. I loved this and the ending is perfect. A very happy reader!