In Feast or Famine by Mesu Andrews

In Feast or Famine by Mesu Andrews
Series: Book 2 of The Egyptian Chronicles
Publisher: WaterBrook (May 9, 2023)

REVIEW BY MAE CLAIR

I preordered this book the moment it became available and couldn’t wait to dive into the pages. The story of Joseph ranks as my personal favorite in the Old Testament, yet surprisingly, not many Biblical fiction authors have tackled his tale.

Asenath, Joseph’s Egyptian wife (and pagan priestess), is the pivotal character in this retelling, but Joseph has a near equal amount of POV chapters. Told in both first and third person narrative, the story covers the time span of Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream and release from prison to his reunion with his brothers, and Jacob’s arrival in Egypt.

I found the opening chapters with Asenath’s background a bit plodding, but once she and Joseph are brought together in marriage the story bloomed. I enjoyed seeing the growth of their relationship, especially given the arranged status and their highly divergent backgrounds.

Joseph is portrayed as a faith-filled man but not without flaws, even arrogance. There are times he must take a hard stance as Egypt’s Vizier and others when he is able to be a loving husband or loyal friend. That balance is often precarious and sometimes results in misunderstandings.

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“So you’re the Hebrew slave who stole my wife,” Apophis said for Joseph’s hearing alone. A long scar ran from the King’s left temple onto his cheek, making him even more intimidating.

“I am the man God chose to save Egypt and the vizier Pharaoh Yanassi chose to marry Asenath.”

In Feast or Famine, Mesu Andrews

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I also loved seeing Asenath’s metamorphous—how she came to believe in Elohim and how that newfound faith altered her relationship with Joseph and others around her. No question—the woman can be infuriating. I waffled between wanting to shake sense into her and alternately hug her. She is strong and principled, an independent thinker, but when it came to her father, frequently—and infuriately—weak.

Andrews does a fabulous job of bringing Ancient Egypt to life through vivid descriptions as well as the machinations of plotting kings and pharaohs. There are a quite a few rulers and relationships to keep track of. The cast of secondary characters is large but enhances rather than detracts from the leads.

That said, I had more than a few moments of frustration with both Joseph and Asenath, all centered around her father, Potiphera. If I have one quibble, I could have done with less focus on the high priest and his relentless plotting. Every time I thought I was done with him, he popped up like a bad penny. That also made some passages plodding.

Overall, if you enjoy Biblical fiction (and especially the story of Joseph), this is an engrossing book layered with a compelling message of faith. Biblical aspects are tightly woven with fictional for an entertaining and well-plotted story. An enthusiastic 4.5 fish!

I purchased the Kindle version of In Feast or Famine