Joseph: A Novel
by Joyce Landorf
Joyce Landorf's novelization of Joseph's life is divided into four sections, each dominated by the women who influenced Joseph at certain stages in his life. In the first section, his mother and aunt raise him, training him in the ways of the world and the ways of God. In the second, he learns compassion from his sister-in-law, who serves as a close confidant for him. When he moves to the next stage of his life, Khnumet, his employer's wife, desires him so mucht aht she turns on him when she realizes she will not be able to possess him, sabotaging him and finally landing him in prison. In the final section of Joseph: A Novel, his wife Asenath grows to apprciate him as a man worthy of her respect, supporting him through times of hardship and his rise to power.
Joseph: A Novel is a well thought out retelling of the Biblical story, organized and written in a masterful way. The characterization is excellent, making Joseph seem real and close to us. It offers many interesting takes on how things might have been. Even if the details do not precisely match up with the biblical Joseph's life (since we can never really know the details), the world in which he lived is invoked, giving us a glimpse of what the man might have been like.
Reviewed by Shelly Bryant © 2015