Publication Date: May 9, 2023
Published by: WaterBrook & Multnomah
Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction,
Ancient Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Romance,
5 Stars!
Summary/Description: Thrust into an arranged marriage, the daughter of ancient Egypt’s high priest plays a pivotal role in Joseph’s biblical narrative in this powerful novel from the award-winning author of Potiphar’s Wife. After four-year-old Asenath’s mother is murdered by Egypt’s foreign rulers, the child is raised to be a priestess by her overprotective father—high priest of Egypt’s sun god. For fifteen years, Asenath is sequestered in the upper levels of Ra’s temple, convinced it is her destiny to heal the land by becoming queen to the next Egyptian pharaoh. But when Egypt’s foreign king instead gives her as a bride to the newly appointed vizier—a Hebrew named Joseph—her entire world is shaken. Beyond the walls of her tower, Asenath discovers treachery, deceit, and conspiracy that force her to redefine her destiny and weigh where her true loyalties lie. Can she still trust the gods of Egypt? Or is Elohim, the foreign God of her husband, the one who will heal her nation during the feast and famine to come?
Mesu Andrews, Christy Award-winning author, is amazingly gifted with a creative imagination and terrific research skills. She definitely achieves her goal of imaginatively writing Biblical characters who walk off the beautifully penned pages and into the reader’s expectant heart and mind. I highly recommend In Feast or Famine to everyone!
Immediately and masterfully In Feast or Famine lures the reader into an Egyptian prison where two prisoners, Joseph and Ahira, are discussing Ahira’s request to quietly slip into Pharoah’s throne room to see if the cupbearer mentions Joseph as he had promised. The story progresses through the rest of Joseph’s remarkable life and those closest to him and concludes with the details of Genesis 47.
Each character is superbly developed with physical traits, morals and values, strengths, weaknesses, spiritual beliefs, backstory, flaws, goals, personality, and worldview. The story is cleverly told by multiple point of views. In Feast or Famine God’s sovereignty, guidance, protection, and love are center stage!
In Feast or Famine includes Scripture and keeps within the boundaries of God’s Word which is the author’s “unalterable foundation of every story” she writes. We are commanded to never add to His Word or subtract from it (Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:7). Prior to reading this book, fear stopped me from reading this type of story where Biblical individuals were the main characters. The fear was that I would mix up the fiction with truth thereby adding or subtracting to His Word -- at least in my mind. Then, as God would orchestrate, I heard the phrase “retelling” -- which is when an author puts a unique spin on a story. That clicked in my mind -- I so needed to understand that type of storytelling. Stay with me a minute longer, please, as I hope this helps at least one reader. This author did not add to Scripture. She writes fiction for us in incredible ways that empowers Scripture to expressively come alive in stunning ways while drawing us closer to God, His Word, and His ways! It is called Biblical fiction because it is a work of fiction that is based on the “unalterable foundation!”
This author’s deep understanding of and love for God’s Word certainly brought the Biblical world and truths alive! Sincere gratitude to this author and all authors who share her ultimate goal of creating stories which compels each of us to pick up the Bible --- and read God’s Word!
This is my honest review. I greatly appreciate the eARC of In Feast or Famine received from Waterbrook and Multnomah through NetGalley.com. I am not required to write a review or paid to do so.