The Prince and the Prodigal

I have had the pleasure of reading all of Jill Eileen Smith’s to date and was excited to have the opportunity to read her newest release, The Prince and the Prodigal. I was far from being disappointed. This one has become my new favorite of her books. I enjoyed to see her vision of how Joseph lived. The historical details were so vivid, I felt as though I had gone back in time. I thought the whole book was great. I loved it. I am giving The Prince and the Prodigal a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading Biblical fiction. As always, I will be looking for more by Jill Eileen Smith in the future. I received a digital copy of The Prince and the Prodigal from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

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.