Meet Princess Zuleika – Potiphar’s Wife as you have never seen her before
Mesu Andrews reveals one of the Bible’s bad girls as a Minoan princess tossed by circumstance into the Egyptian court in her novel Potiphar’s Wife. Desperate to save her island kingdom after an earth-shattering event wreaks havoc, she agrees to her father’s plan to offer her in marriage to Pharaoh. But when Pharaoh hands her off to the Captain of his bodyguard, her sacrificial gesture changes nothing for her homeland. Abandoned by her father, discarded by Pharaoh, and ignored by her new husband, Zuleika becomes obsessed with returning to Crete.
I felt sorry for her in Pharaoh’s court and Potipher’s household. She was so out of place, and when she tried to share her talents with Egyptian acquaintances, instead of appreciation and friendship, she was met with scorn. I understood why she grew to distrust the Egyptians.
I loved stepping into the world of ancient Egypt, even peeking into Pharaoh’s harem, but what a fun surprise to walk among the Minoan people on the island kingdom of Crete. Other than Zuleika (yes, she was surprisingly likable), I most enjoyed Pushpa, Potiphar’s cook and surrogate mother, and also Ahira, a Hebrew slave. There are many intriguing characters, displaying a broad selection of the society – from royalty, nobles, and soldiers to viziers, healers, and slaves.
After I finished reading Potiphar’s Wife, I dived into the Author’s Notes about who’s real, who’s imagined, and the research. Fascinating.
What stands out in my mind about about this novel is that Zuleika is an Every Woman – or Every Man, for that matter. We all have made bad choices in life. Sometimes they take us down a very long road, perhaps to a dark place. The truth expressed in Potiphar’s Wife is that the dark place need not be the end. It can be a place of awakening, of turning, and of grace.
I both listened to the audiobook and read the paperback. Highly recommended for those who enjoy ancient historical fiction or biblical novels.
More About Potiphar’s Wife
Before she is Potiphar’s wife, Zuleika is the daughter of a king and the wife of a prince. She rules the isle of Crete alongside her mother in the absence of their seafaring husbands. But when tragedy nearly destroys Crete, Zuleika must sacrifice her future to save the Minoan people she loves.
Zuleika’s father believes his robust trade with Egypt will ensure Pharaoh’s obligation to marry his daughter, including a bride price hefty enough to save Crete. But Pharaoh refuses and gives her instead to Potiphar, the captain of his bodyguards: a crusty bachelor twice her age, who would rather have a new horse than a Minoan wife.
Abandoned by her father, rejected by Pharaoh, and humiliated by Potiphar’s indifference, Zuleika yearns for the homeland she adores. In the political hotbed of Egypt’s foreign dynasty, her obsession to return to Crete spirals into deception. When she betrays Joseph—her Hebrew servant with the face and body of the gods—she discovers only one love is worth risking everything.
About Mesu Andrews
MESU ANDREWS is the Christy Award®-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter. Her deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy. She stays connected with readers through newsie emails, fun blog posts, and frequent short stories. For more information, visit MesuAndrews.com.
Inspired by the Bible story of Elijah raising the widow’s son from the dead, author Dana McNeely wondered what became of the boy. She began research for her novel, “Rain,” which tells the story of the three-and-a-half-year drought from his perspective. No stranger to drought, Dana lives in an Arizona oasis with her hubby the constant gardener, two good dogs, an antisocial cat, and migrating butterflies.
In 2021 RAIN became a finalist in The Christy Award (use the registered mark) and was also a finalist in the 2022 ACFW Carol Award® and was also a finalist in the 2022 ACFW Carol Award.
WHIRLWIND, the second novel in the “Whispers on the Wind” series, tells the story of a king’s downfall and a love that transcends war.
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