Asenath by Anna Patricio

ABOUT THE BOOK

In a humble fishing village on the shores of the Nile lives Asenath, a fisherman's daughter who has everything she could want. Until her perfect world is shattered.

When a warring jungle tribe ransacks the village and kidnaps her, separating her from her parents, she is forced to live as a slave. And she begins a journey that will culminate in the meeting of a handsome and kind steward named Joseph.

Like her, Joseph was taken away from his home, and it is in him that Asenath comes to find solace...and love. But just as they are beginning to form a bond, Joseph is betrayed by his master's wife and thrown into prison.

Is Asenath doomed to a lifetime of losing everything and everyone she loves?

MY THOUGHTS

I recall Asenath vaguely from Bible studies, but most of her story I learned then is now unclear.  Anna Patricio brings her story to the forefront and she does it with sensibility and compassion. Kyia, who will become Asenath, is kidnapped from her fishing village when she is only nine and put into servitude.  She's later rescued by Egyptian soldiers, and from there, she goes into training to be a priestess.  Thoughout the story, she meets Joseph when she is younger but then doesn't see him until years later when she has bloomed into a woman.   They find love with one another but another is filled with hate and would see them apart.   Joseph, yes the same one with the coat of many colors, Asenath and her trials and tribulations will keep the reader entranced.  Patricio writes with authenticity and compassion, but isn't afraid to show the dark side of human nature.  The historical details are mesmerizing and the masterful storytelling will captivate readers.  I really loved it!