Potiphar's Wife: A Novel

Mesu Andrews

May 2022 · The Egyptian Chronicles Book 1 · Sold by WaterBrook

About this ebook

One of the Bible’s most notorious women longs for a love she cannot have in this captivating novel from the award-winning author of Isaiah’s Legacy.

“Mesu Andrews yet again proves her mastery of weaving a rich and powerful biblical story!”—Roseanna M. White, author of A Portrait of Loyalty

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.

Ratings and reviews

Perhaps you have considered who Potiphar’s wife was when reading the story of Joseph. Having never given it much thought, this story is a fascinating narrative of who she may have been. Zuleika, born into the royal family in Crete was groomed to be queen someday. Necessity forcing her to leave, she gave up all she knew for the benefit of those left behind. Given in marriage to a man she did not know would she be able to face her new life with courage? The author takes the reader along as she slowly unwraps the layers around this beautiful woman. A prisoner in a land not her own, she joins Joseph and others who must learn to survive. Can they learn to rely on the God who sees and trust Him for a future they don’t understand? This ARC was received through WaterBrook, Random House and NetGalley. These impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

This was a very powerful novel. I am thrilled that my husband and I have been reading the Old Testament recently so I knew the story very well. The author did a wonderful job of meshing real history and fictional content. This is the second Biblical fiction that I have read from this author. I have enjoyed both of these books very much. This Bible story totally came to life as I read it and was very entertaining as Potiphar's wife, Zully, tries to seduce Joseph and he wants nothing to do with that. There is so much historical information in this book, you know the amount of research that goes into a work such as this. I found myself totally captivated by the entire book as each of the characters truly are amazingly well written and you feel as you are right there experiencing their stories with them. I love that Zully tells her story in her words and with her own feelings and thoughts. This is a book I recommend. It was very good! I received an ebook copy from WaterBrook through NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

About the author

Mesu Andrews is the Christy Award–winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter whose 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 newsy emails, fun blog posts, and frequent short stories.