Smith has taken a well known bible story and brought a new perspective, and I am here for it! What a stunning way to bring the Bible to life and open our eyes to the possibilities beyond what the Bible brings us.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jill Eileen Smith does a great job of bringing the culture to life in this intertwined telling of Joseph and Judah, sons of Jacob.

Slow going for me, I found it difficult at times because I am very familiar with the original texts that inspired this fictional telling, and as can be the case I knew all of the big twists that were coming up, though I thought the author did a great job bringing out the cultural context. I liked the idea of telling both Joseph and Judah's stories together, as well as the women in their lives. The telling doesn't gloss over the more sensual parts of the story, though it doesn't go into explicit detail, you definitely get the idea as presented in the Bible.

I think the reason that I struggled, was as can be the case with historical fiction that focuses on real people, that Joseph kinda was just there. The author is true to the text, yet I felt he was more flat than fleshed out. Judah's journey is more gradual, along with the themes of family.

Overall, I wanted to like it and there was a lot that the author did well, but in the end it just wasn't enjoyable for me to read.

I received a complimentary ebook from Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

I have read a few biblical fictions by Jill Eileen Smith, and you cannot go wrong with a book by this author. Bringing to life Joesph, the favored son of Jacob.
The older brothers resentful and jealous take advantage of a chance to get rid of him deceiving their father,
Years later when roles are reversed with Joseph forgive Judah or have his revenge?
I'll look forward to more by this author.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

What an amazing biblical fiction story about Jacob and his son Joseph! This story mostly follows Joseph (prince) and Judah his stepbrother (the prodigal). I was saddened by the rift caused between brothers which ultimately was caused because of jealousy between Jacobs two wives Leah and Rachel.

I absolutely love reading biblical fiction. It was interesting to read about the different beliefs that the Hebrews, Egyptian and other groups had regarding God‘s, sacrifices and beliefs. This was such a riveting story from beginning to end with engaging characters and storylines. I absolutely loved it!!! highly recommend!!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is by far the closest retelling of the story of Joseph I have ever read. Jill Eileen Smith has already made a name for herself when it comes to Biblical fiction with the way she writes and brings beloved Biblical characters to life. This book really showcases her talent and I look forward to reading more from her.

I recommend this book for ages 18+ for some mature themes including abuse and sexual content.

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.

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.

An interesting biblical fiction story of Joseph from the Bible. Fans of biblical fiction will enjoy Jill Eileen Smith's take on this very popular story from the Bible.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

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.

I have read several books by this author, but I do believe this was my favorite. I am thankful to Baker Publishing and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of the book for my ability to review it. The Prince in the story is Joseph of the Bible, son of Jacob who became a leader in Egypt after cruel treatment by his brothers. Before reading the story, I was guessing that the Prodigal was Jacob, but I learned through reading this book a part of the story that I had never picked up on before. This was not just a story of Joseph forgiving his brothers, although of course, that was one major climax. However, a large portion of the book was devoted to the family's prodigal, Judah, and the repentance that occurred even apart from his forgiveness by Joseph. I loved the words at the outset of the book that proclaim it a book "for those who long for reconciliation, restoration, and redemption...even the most impossible situations." I felt that even though it is a fictional look at the true story from the Bible, there was nothing that seemed forced or unbelievable. I look forward to getting the audiobook at some point to enjoy it again.

A beautiful story of faith in God, hope, forgiveness, love and tragedy. I always look forward to reading books by Jill Eileen Smith. The Prince and the Prodigal is based on the second half of Genesis, specifically the life of Jacob’s camp in Hebron, his slavery in Egypt and the move of Judah’s to Canaan. Smith tells the story of Jacob and the love he had for his son, Joseph. I can not imagine the fear of Joseph’s and the grief of Jacob for what his brother did to him
I love how Jill recreates the characters and brings them to life, how you can feel as if you know each character intimately. Ms. Smith has become a favorite of mine and always look forward to reading her books

There are a number of people in the Bible who faced unimaginable betrayals only to experience God's grace. Joseph is a key example of this and his life is explored masterfully by author, Jill Eileen Smith.
Joseph is the younger son of Jacob and Rachel. Favored by Jacob; he faces the scorn and increasing jealousy from his siblings. In those days, multiple wives were the norm so Jacob has sons by a total of four women. His twelve brothers hatch a plan to remove him from the family...selling him to a slave trader. Joseph's life takes twists and turns that propel him into great misery and exalted position.
The author writes beautifully and the amount of research is evident. The back stories of several characters were brought to the forefront which made for fascinating reading. One of the main characters is Judah (the prodigal), who was instrumental in the initial betrayal. I never really thought about the feelings of remorse that the brothers felt for years after that life altering meeting with the slave trader.
This is the third book that I have read by this author and it didn't disappoint. She provides a handy family tree which I referred to often and author notes at the end. In her note, she gives a bit more detail about incidents and people in the novel. Thank you for providing these key insights.
I received an Advance Review Copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own. @jilleileensmith @revellbooks @bakerpublishing

I really loved this historical fiction of the story of Joseph who was sold into Egypt. The details were so very plausible. The writing was fantastic and the leaning on faith was perfection.

I was so thrilled to receive an early copy to review. This book brought an intimacy to a story I have known all my life. It added depth and emotion that is absent from the Bible telling. This story of Joseph and his brothers added perspective to my knowledge of it. Even if it hadn't happened exactly that way, it allowed me to look on the story with new eyes. Joseph has been a larger than life figure.

I appreciated the change in perspectives between different characters including Jacob, Joseph, Reuben, Judah, Dinah and others. I found myself realizing just how long Joseph was away from his family. These details added such richness to an already familiar story.

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

This is the story of Jacob's children, mostly from the viewpoint of Joseph and Judah. Not too long ago I read another story about the relationship of Jacob and his wives, (by another author,) and this story almost felt like a continuation of that one. This story mainly of Joseph and Judah, shows the contrast between these two brothers and the lives they led. Author Smith puts all the Bible parts into this story as she weaves her own fictional 'what if's' around them.

After spending some time with this family, all I can say was what a dysfunctional one it is. The wives, who were blood sisters, did not get along. Even adding in a few concubines and this animosity passes on to the kids. And for anyone who knows the sins of Jacob's sons before they even sell their own brother, wow. I always felt bad for Joseph and what he went through, and the author really gets us inside his head and seeing the hatred his own brothers had towards him. Unfortunately, the continuation of sin.

Joseph who was sold as a slave, imprisoned, and then comes to be second in charge to Pharaoh, shows how one can hang on to their faith no matter what may come. What Joseph went through to save his family and a lot of the world from starvation shows God's powerful hand in man's affairs. No matter good or evil.

Now Judah, the prodigal, had certainly made some unbelievable mistakes. But in God's mercy he was to have Jesus, the Savior, come through his line. This was a very interesting way to show how God loves all his children, no matter what evil may befall on them or what evil they may be responsible for. There is a lot to consider and think about and I think this story would really make a great book club addition.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

The Prince and the Prodigal is a well written fictional account of Joseph and Judah. I throughly enjoyed this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC. This is my unbiased review.

"The Prince and the Prodigal" by Jill Eileen Smith is the fascinating, true life story of Joseph, the pampered, favorite son of the Biblical patriarch, Jacob. His older brothers, deeply resentful of his favored status, got rid of him by selling him to slave traders going to Egypt. They deceived their father about his fate. While Joseph is falsely accused and imprisoned, his elder brother, Judah tries to escape the haunting memory of his terrible complicity in betraying Joseph. After spending decades apart, the brothers come face-to-face in a stunning reversal of fate. Joseph, as Prime Minister of Egypt, wields great power and authority, while Judah pitifully begs for mercy. Will forgiveness or vengeance win? Jill Eileen Smith's genuinely authentic research and highly imaginative skills are beautifully displayed in this fantastic life story of terrible jealousy, horrible betrayal, and a heartwarming reconciliation that only God can bring about, in His own divine plan and purpose, to bring glory to His name. Jill Eileen Smith pays expert attention to historical and cultural detail, as well as emotional sensitivity. Her great talent lies in exploring the plausible emotional and spiritual journeys of Biblical characters and expounds them graphically for readers of today. Jill infuses well-known Biblical stories with emotional depth and a modern sensibility rarely seen in historical novels. She breathes new creativity into well-known sacred Bible stories, causing them to spring out imaginatively, large as life, with captivating personalities, to inspire readers of today.

This is an amazing Biblical novel!

I have read the book of Genesis multiple times. The story of Joseph and his brothers is a fairly large part of the book. At the same time there are a number of details that aren’t given in the bible. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fictional account of their lives. The author has done an incredible job of filling in details of what everyday life would have been like for Jacob’s large family as well as Joseph’s life in Egypt.

After the point that Dinah was raped by Shechem she really isn’t mentioned in the bible. My heart went out to her and what her life would have been like after Levi and Simeon killed all of the men in the city of Shechem. This book does show her as having a fulfilling place in the family.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

The story of Joseph was one of my favorites growing up so when I had the opportunity to read this book, I was excited. I'm not sure if that actually was a detriment when reading this book but I struggled getting invested in this novelized version. I think part of my struggle to get into it was how innocent she made Joseph. With how Joseph was treated by his father Jacob, I would imagine that he would have had at least a little ego but Smith gave him none. It made him seem naïve at the beginning. I think I got more into Judah's story than Joseph's and didn’t really get into Joseph's story until over halfway through when he was in Egypt. The book did, however, make me remember that this Judah was the one God chose to bring the line of David and Jesus out of which I never quite put together or realized because I usually focused on Joseph in this story.

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.

An engaging retelling of the lives of Old Testament brothers Joseph and Judah. Jill Eileen Smith kept me engaged, and made some fascinating connections between these two characters. Enjoyed it!