"THE COAT AND THE CROWN: Joseph of Egypt," by Mary Keith Boyack, Digital Legend Press, $24.95, 348 pages (f)
The historical novel "The Coat and the Crown" gives a fresh perspective to Joseph of Egypt and brings him to the forefront as a hero for today's young people.
The story begins with Joseph as a youth living with his father, Israel, and 11 brothers in Hebron, Canaan. When Reuben, Joseph's oldest brother and heir to the family birthright, is caught in a compromising situation, Israel decides to bestow that birthright upon Joseph, his firstborn son to his second wife. With the birthright, Joseph is given the coat of many colors with a warning to keep it sacred.
Joseph decides to show his brothers that he received these gifts from his father, thinking they would be happy for him, but due to Israel's favoritism and Joseph having several dreams where his brothers bowed down to him, a fight ensues. They place Joseph in a dried-up well while they decide what to do with him and leave one person guarding him. When a traveling merchant attempts to buy water from this well, Joseph's brothers devise a plan to get rid of him by selling him into slavery.
The story then follows Joseph's life as a slave, the trials he faces in the service of Potiphar, his imprisonment and his ascension to the throne of Egypt. Joseph learns many life lessons as he matures and becomes a humble servant to the Lord and his fellow man.
Mary Keith Boyack's retelling of the classic story is light and fun to read but is also very well researched. Boyack not only draws from the Bible but multiple religious texts including the Torah, the Quran and the Pearl of Great Price to paint a more complete picture of the life of Joseph. She seamlessly introduces some of her own characters and storyline, which make the story more personal and endearing to the reader yet do not take away from the original.
Boyack, an 80-year-old resident of Provo, says she has always been drawn to Joseph's story and has felt there was more to the story than what current sources have been able to offer. She originally finished writing "The Coat and the Crown" in 1986. She did not get it published, however, until last year thanks to prompting from a group of friends who told her the book needed to be published.
"I think it is finally Joseph’s time," says Boyack. "The world certainly needs a pattern for a real hero. I want every 16-year-old boy to read it."
Branden Hurst is a proud father of four. He has worked in the IT industry for over 14 years, but in his free time enjoys sharing in wholesome activities with his family and administering various websites including itsallrelative.info.