In Feast or Famine by Mesu AndrewsMy rating: 💛💛💛💛
Elohim doesn’t leave, Asenath. Our Creator is everywhere all the time, but He chooses when to reveal His nearness just as each of us chooses to either draw near to Him or push him away.
Mesu Andrews is probably my favourite Biblical fiction author and this book again proved why. This story, though the author did mention some fictional liberties were taken, was based on historical research, and stayed true to Joseph’s story I’ve studied so many times.
Even though I knew how everything would end, I found myself holding my breath reading all Potiphera’s schemes and wondering what would happen. He was a great example of how lost people can get in trying to plan and ensure their own future instead of trusting and relying on God.
I loved how the author used Asenath, an Egyptian, to show God loves all and how someone can change and grow when they commit to God. I enjoyed seeing how God reverse the roles and used Asenath to challenge Joseph in his struggles.
There was a lot of focus on the Egyptian beliefs and traditions. I never really thought about it, but Joseph had to suddenly embrace Egyptian traditions while standing firm in his beliefs. His struggles with meeting his brothers again after 20 years were raw, emotional, and felt realistic.
I am looking forward to the next book by Mesu Andrews.
“Anger is a weak weapon, Joseph.” Ahira’s soft tone cut like a dagger. “Forgiveness is an archer’s bow with unlimited arrows. They can pierce even the hardest heart.”
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*
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About the book:
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?
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?
About the Author:
MESU ANDREWS is the Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter whose deep understanding of
and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy. She stays connected with readers through newsie emails, fun blog posts, and frequent short stories. For more information, visitMesuAndrews.com.
Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011, the story of Job) won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year for a Debut Author. Love’s Sacred Song (Revell, 2012) relates the poetic Song of Solomon in story form, and Love in a Broken Vessel(Revell, 2013) sets the story of Hosea and Gomer in biblical Israel. In the Shadow of Jezebel (Revell, 2014) displays God's sovereignty over Jezebel's daughter, Queen Athaliah. The Pharaoh's Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2015), unveils Moses' early years, and Miriam (2016) introduces Yahweh's prophetess during the ten plagues and the Exodus. Isaiah’s Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2018) introduces readers to the prophet Isaiah's captivating daughter, and its sequel, Isaiah's Legacy (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2020) , provides the redemptive end to her life and her son Manasseh's reign. To follow Yahweh's progression toward the Messiah, By the Waters of Babylon (August 2018) continues the story of the prophets and kings through the exile, and Of Fire and Lions (Waterbrook/Multnomah 2019) tells Daniel's compelling story. And The Reluctant Rival: Leah's Story tells of Leah, Jacob's neglected wife, and how God used her to change the course of history. And when Joseph's brothers sell him into a life of slavery in Egypt, Jacob's favorite son encounters one of the Bible's most infamous bad girls in, Potiphar's Wife (Waterbrook/Multnomah 2022).
and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy. She stays connected with readers through newsie emails, fun blog posts, and frequent short stories. For more information, visitMesuAndrews.com.
Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011, the story of Job) won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year for a Debut Author. Love’s Sacred Song (Revell, 2012) relates the poetic Song of Solomon in story form, and Love in a Broken Vessel(Revell, 2013) sets the story of Hosea and Gomer in biblical Israel. In the Shadow of Jezebel (Revell, 2014) displays God's sovereignty over Jezebel's daughter, Queen Athaliah. The Pharaoh's Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2015), unveils Moses' early years, and Miriam (2016) introduces Yahweh's prophetess during the ten plagues and the Exodus. Isaiah’s Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2018) introduces readers to the prophet Isaiah's captivating daughter, and its sequel, Isaiah's Legacy (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2020) , provides the redemptive end to her life and her son Manasseh's reign. To follow Yahweh's progression toward the Messiah, By the Waters of Babylon (August 2018) continues the story of the prophets and kings through the exile, and Of Fire and Lions (Waterbrook/Multnomah 2019) tells Daniel's compelling story. And The Reluctant Rival: Leah's Story tells of Leah, Jacob's neglected wife, and how God used her to change the course of history. And when Joseph's brothers sell him into a life of slavery in Egypt, Jacob's favorite son encounters one of the Bible's most infamous bad girls in, Potiphar's Wife (Waterbrook/Multnomah 2022).
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