“As usual, Levitin’s characterizations are superb; here she draws particularly complex, believable portraits…Levitin’s exploration of questions of conscience and faith is startling and searching. Nobody in her novel mouths pieties; religious convictions are the fruits of hard and dramatic struggle. Her rigorous approach…will spur her audience to fresh appraisals of sacred history.” Publishers Weekly
Description
Jesse, a Hebrew slave, and Jennat, a half-Egyptian, half-Syrian servant girl, both serve the Egyptians, but they live in vastly different worlds. Though Jennat serves a wealthy mistress, Memnet, she is content to share in the glitter of Egyptian life and idol worship. But Jesse’s life is filled with cruelty inflicted upon him by Egyptian task-masters. Jesse’s father believes only in survival and will stop at nothing to gain favors from the rich and powerful. His mother, however, believes that God will someday rescue His people and guide them to their own land.
When Jesse and Jennat work together in Memnet’s household, their worlds collide, and they are attracted to each other despite their differences. Soon both of them are embroiled in one of history’s greatest adventures: the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and their subsequent wanderings in the wilderness.
Praise
“As usual, Levitin’s characterizations are superb; here she draws particularly complex, believable portraits…Levitin’s exploration of questions of conscience and faith is startling and searching. Nobody in her novel mouths pieties; religious convictions are the fruits of hard and dramatic struggle. Her rigorous approach…will spur her audience to fresh appraisals of sacred history.” Publishers Weekly
“Conlin conveys the tension of the days in the desert and the adjustment to the new ways of freedom and belief through her ever-changing reading voice and the pacing of the story. Together, Levitin and Conlin bring this timeless tale to life.” AudioFile
“Levitin is certainly courageous. At a time when authors are steered away from writing controversial books and when stories are presifted to make them palatable to the lowest common denominator, she has written a book that is troubling, moving, and sensualand that forces its readers to think.” Booklist (starred review)
“Narrator Conlin has a sharp, brisk tone which varies in pitch and accent to delineate male and female, young and old, Hebrew and Egyptian roles…Her delivery has a good clarity and pace and inspires fresh interest in the familiar story.” Kliatt
“Ambitious…A deeply felt novel, underlying the philosophical complexity of the Jews’ great covenant and their first return to their homeland.” Kirkus Reviews
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Nov 30, 1998 |
| Release Date | December 1, 1998 |
| Release Date Machine | 912470400 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Literature & Fiction, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, History, Children 8-12 |
Author Bio
Sonia Levitin is the author of more than thirty books for young readers. Her best-known work is the middle-grade trilogy that begins with Journey to America.
Narrator Bio
Grace Conlin (1962–1997) was the recording name of Grainne Cassidy, an award-winning actress and acclaimed narrator. She was a member of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC, and won a Helen Hayes Award in 1988 for her role in Woolly Mammoth’s production of Savage in Limbo.
Overview
Jesse, a Hebrew slave, and Jennat, a half-Egyptian, half-Syrian servant girl, both serve the Egyptians, but they live in vastly different worlds. Though Jennat serves a wealthy mistress, Memnet, she is content to share in the glitter of Egyptian life and idol worship. But Jesse’s life is filled with cruelty inflicted upon him by Egyptian task-masters. Jesse’s father believes only in survival and will stop at nothing to gain favors from the rich and powerful. His mother, however, believes that God will someday rescue His people and guide them to their own land.
When Jesse and Jennat work together in Memnet’s household, their worlds collide, and they are attracted to each other despite their differences. Soon both of them are embroiled in one of history’s greatest adventures: the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and their subsequent wanderings in the wilderness.
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