The Prince and the Prodigal
by Jill Eileen Smith
Pub Date: February 1, 2022
Revell
Bestselling and award-winning author Jill Eileen Smith brings her considerable research and imaginative skills to bear in this vivid retelling of one of the most popular stories found in Scripture--a story of jealousy, betrayal, and a reconciliation that only God could bring about.
Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for the ARC. This gets 5 thumbs up from me. Sadly, I won't be buying this for our library because as of late, Jill's books are not getting checked out. Most of our readers prefer thrillers and mysteries right now.
5 stars

Many of us are familiar with the Genesis story of Joseph and his brothers, who formed the basis of the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph was highly favored by his father, Jacob, who even gave him a special coat of many colors because he loved him most. This favoritism resulted in great jealousy among the brothers, who ultimately sold Joseph into slavery and deceived their father about his fate.
As often as I had heard this story, Jill Eileen Smith’s vivid retelling, The Prince and the Prodigal, breathed new life into it for me and made me think more about what was happening from different perspectives. The vast amount of research the author did to write her newest book is evident in her strong attention to historical detail and close adherence to scripture. She has seamlessly blended what is known with her unique creative take on how the characters might have responded to the events in both their words and emotions.
In her book, Smith presents the story from the perspective of Joseph, as well as from his half-brother Judah and half-sister, Dinah. In doing so, she has made the characters relatable to all of us struggling in the trenches of life today, dealing with such difficult yet timeless issues as jealousy, betrayal, and the need for forgiveness and reconciliation.
Through the years, I have read every book by Smith I could get my hands on, and I have yet to be disappointed. The Prince and the Prodigal is another homerun for this gifted author, and I highly recommend it and other books she has penned to anyone who loves well-written Biblical fiction.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley but was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Joseph and Judah are two of the twelve sons of Jacob who is also known as Israel. Following the events detailed in the book of Genesis (the first book of the Christian bible and Jewish Torah), the author has crafted an excellent story about forgiveness, family, favoritism, deceit, obedience, and God's faithfulness. For those familiar with the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, this is a detailed look at life in that time period. The descriptions of the setting are rich, and the emotion of the characters come through clearly.

For those unfamiliar with the story - don't let that stop you from reading this book. The author gives plenty of background information on the characters. One other item that stands out without being hammered is the position (or lack thereof) of women in those times.

This is a beautifully written story that is faithful to scripture and highlights the overwhelming forgiveness given.

Another stunning biblical fiction story!

The Prince and the Prodigal, written by the talented Jill Eileen Smith, is a remarkable re-telling of the story of Joseph in the Bible. It is heartbreakingly beautiful and touched me deeply.

If you don’t know about the biblical story of Joseph, this will be remarkably fresh for you. And if you do know about Joseph’s life, you’ll see him, his family, Potiphar, and even the Egyptian slaves in a whole new way.

This book made me realize how very young Joseph was when he was betrayed by his brothers, and how bold his faith and strength were despite his hardships. I was immersed in biblical culture, showcasing how men were mighty and women were essentially powerless to make their own choices in most matters. But what rang true the loudest, and will stay with me for some time, is how God’s power, mercy, and forgiveness is longsuffering. His plans are not our plans, and sometimes life isn’t easy, but He is a loving, patient, and present God, working things together for our good.

If you want a book to touch your heart, a story that will make you cry from the unexpected beauty, and show you the power of fortitude, faith, and forgiveness, then this is the perfect read for you. I promise you’ll not only learn more about this important man in biblical history, and God, and what true redemption is, but I’d guess to say you’ll learn more about yourself as well.

Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.

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A 2022 Favorite!

What a story of hope, forgiveness, and faith in a God unseen but works in everything for good.

The story of Joseph. Some know this story of Joseph and Coat of Many Colors. Joseph is the foreshadowing of Christ. Joseph was hated by his brothers just as Jesus. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers with 30 pieces of silver, just like Jesus. Joseph was favored by his father, just like Jesus. The story is told in context which is so important understanding the implications of God's redemptive plan. Joseph was a favored son from a very large family. His brothers resented him and Joseph was caught in the middle. The story was also told in parallel with Joseph's older brother Judas who is the direct line of Jesus. Judas' betrayal causes him to escape his father's house and marry a Canaanite woman. He suffers many hardships and lessons that always bring him back to what he did to his brother. One of the hardships he brought to himself was with Tamar. This too has many spiritual implications but in today's world is very hard to understand.

The story comes full circle when Joseph becomes Prince of Egypt and his brothers unknowing come to Egypt and face their brother after many years. The emotions of that meeting and the testing of faith is precious to anyone who wrestles with God, pain, and the will of God.

I thought the author's narration and research came together with integrity to the scripture and the character of God. The bible does not touch so much on human feelings but an author can some liberty to help us understand what a great God we have. The struggles that we face in our humanness and what we must do to surrender our will. Highly recommend.

A special thank you to Revell and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This one took me a little bit to get into as the writing style was a bit different than I'm used to, but once I got into it, I was able to read it in about a day. I disagreed with the author on some minor theological points, which aren't worth mentioning as I can't verify if I'm correct or she is, but that did impact my take on the book and ability to get into it. When all was said and done, this was an interesting story about the time of Joseph - going from viewpoints of Joseph, Judah and Dinah. Some of the dialogue I recognized as being taken directly from scripture, which I always appreciate in biblical fiction. I did appreciate the author's take on the feelings that motivated the various actions in the scriptures and some of the unknown elements. This one came at a good time as I'm currently reading Genesis in my daily Bible reading, so I was able to connect my Bible reading with the biblical fiction I was reading, which is always the best way to do it. I love biblical fiction because it brings the scriptures to life for me and this one was no different in that regard. Special thanks to Revell and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

The story of Joseph never ceases to move my heart in so many ways. It's such a reminder of God's going before us preparing the way for our lives and using all our bad choices for his glory and our good..

I loved this book! The Prince and the Prodigal by Jill Eileen Smith is a story that closely follows the Biblical account of Joseph's life but it is more than that. It is as if God was whispering in the ear of Jill and telling her just what happened during that time. This books allows you to travel with Jacob and his family, to see the conflicts and chaos that can occur amid large households. Often times when I am reading the Bible I don't consider the time frame or the extenuating circumstances in a story. I read the facts and assume it happened that way. This story puts all of those facts into perspective. This book tells how Jacob loved Rachel more than his other wives and therefore loved Joseph above his other sons. His other sons were jealous of Joseph and this book shows us how that jealousy and hatred is manifested. It tells about Joseph's time in Egypt and his reunion with his family. Most of all it makes you feel as if you are right there while it is happening. You see, hear and feel all of the sights, sounds and emotions of this family in a riveting story of love, devotion, and faith. I definitely recommend this story to everyone.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Revell publishers for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy. The views expressed are solely my own.

You can never go wrong with Jill Eileen Smith's Biblical fiction, and The Prince and the prodigal is no different. She brings the story of Joseph to life in only a way that she can.

The story of Joseph is probably one of the best-known stories in the Bible. It is one of the first stories you hear in Sunday School. It is so familiar that it was turned into a Broadway play. These reasons might make you hesitate to read The Prince and the Prodigal by Jill Eileen Smith. But I would urge you to put those reasons aside because this book is gripping even though you know the end of the story.

I loved how the author captured the emotions of her characters, from Jacob's favouritism towards Joseph and Joseph's discomfort over that favouritism. This resulted in hatred from his brothers and ultimately why Joseph was sold into slavery. Did God put it in Jacob's heart to shower Joseph with attention and ignore his other sons? Or did he use Jacob's actions to further His plan for the nation of Israel? This story has so many layers that each page presents new insights into a tale as old as time.

Little-known characters like Dinah and Tamara are also brought to life with their tragic and emotional stories. The author created a compelling narrative of Jacob's family that was hard to put down.

The prodigal aspect of this story is genius. As we see Joseph remain faithful to God through prayer, the opposite is true of Judah. His solution to literally run away from his guilt allowed the author to bring both characters to life in an emotional and satisfying finish.

This book will speak to those struggling with their faith, guilt, or anything that would hamper their relationship with God. Don't pass it by because you think you know the story. You will miss out on a beautiful depiction of God's love, faithfulness and hope. I highly recommend it.

I received this book courtesy of Revell through NetGalley for the purpose of my honest review.

The Prince and The Prodigal by Jill Eileen Smith


Jill does an amazing job imagining details of the lives of men and women in the Bible. She is very respectful to these people and the Word of God in her "retelling."


The book is about the lives of Joseph and his brother Judah. Because the chapters in the Bible cover over 20 years, we don't know what really happened. We don't know what these people said, felt, or did in between. We don't know some of the missing details that lead to events like Potipher's wife trying to sleep with Joseph. She is portrayed as a serial adulteress who abuses her servants. 


Judah is the Prodigal. I never thought of him as a prodigal, but in this telling of his story, it makes sense. The Bible tells us that after Joseph is sold into slavery, he leaves the family. Many years later we see him come back. He is the one who convinces Jacob to allow Benjamin to go to Egypt with them the second time. If there was no reconciliation, Jacob wouldn't have allowed this. 


The reunion between Joseph and his brothers is a very famous story. So many books and sermons have been written about these chapters, all on the forgiveness Joseph gave.  But this book unpacks the emotions and the journey. 


There are a few hard things to read in this book that may be triggering for some. Judah went to live among the Cannanites and marries a woman from there as well as marries his sons to one, Tamar. There is a scene about the child sacrifice this nation practiced. It was difficult for me to read, but we know that this was something that really happened. 


We know from Scripture that many of this family had sexual sins; from rape, adultery, and prostitution. These are all mentions, in a closed door way.  The suffering Tamar went through at the hands of her husband's is difficult to read. We know that God punished and those 2 men, and this is also mentioned. 


I don't know enough cultural history to know if some of the details are accurate, but they are interesting. 


I would suggest that, if you read this book, first read the account in Genesis first and then after. Just because this is based on Scripture, does not mean it should be taken as truth. Get your foundation first.

The Prince and the Prodigal might be Jill Eileen Smith's best novel yet. I admit feeling skeptical about it at first, because I wasn't sure how she could balance the stories of Joseph and Judah. But her treatment of both stories blew me away.

First, I want to commend Jill for absolutely nailing the complicated dynamics in Joseph's life. She gives readers a deep, multifaceted portrait of Joseph quite unlike the one most of us get in Sunday school. Specifically, I was always taught that Joseph was a spoiled little brat, end of story, and his brothers were wicked, end of story. Well, yeah, but people and motives are deeper than that. In The Prince and the Prodigal, Jill explores the psyche of a favored son who maybe didn't want the favor. She explores the dynamics of a family torn apart, not just by simple favoritism, but by shame, guilt, and unrelenting loss.

I love the way that, like Joseph's multicolored coat, Jill threaded in the emotional journeys of so many characters. She takes us back to her Wives of the Patriarchs series, exploring how Leah and Rachel negatively impacted a nation but found redemption, friendship, and love. She spends time developing the redemption of Judah, the brother who carries the honor of Christ's bloodline (and exactly why that is, which if you don't know a little Biblical history, can be odd). And even though there isn't a female point of view in this book, Jill gives us enough of Dinah and Asenath for readers to truly know, appreciate, and root for them. (I really, really want a strong Christian to write a fictionalized account of Dinah; she's a compelling character).

A couple of times during The Prince and the Prodigal, I wondered if Joseph came off as a little too perfect. I mean, just because he became second only to Pharaoh, and before that, was never mistreated as a slave or prisoner, he was okay? Well, no. Jill delved expertly into Joseph's loneliness and feelings of rejection. It's intensely relatable, at least for me. When Joseph muses that useful is all he can be, that he's needed but not wanted or loved--oof. I *felt* that.

The spiritual threads here are spot on as well. The births of Joseph's sons stand out, as do his interactions with his brothers. I've read or been told of people wrestling with forgiveness and trust, but I rarely see it played out so well in real time, as with Joseph. Christ is never mentioned in The Prince and the Prodigal, yet His presence is all over those scenes in particular.

There are a few stylistic issues. Several times, Jill repeats the same information a few different ways, or writes an obvious conclusion after a character has had very specific thoughts or explored a specific motive. She lapses into telling over showing a couple of times. When taken with the rest of the book though, these issues are small and make it more a 4.5. My conclusion is, read and enjoy. You will be blessed.