Escape From Egypt: A Novel by Sonia Levitin

Do you enjoy adventure books, action, a bit of history, and even with some romance? If you like any of these types of books you should read this book. This book is about how boy named Jesse (Israelite) and a girl named Jannet (half Egyptian and half Syrian which means she is treated better by the Egyptians). Now Israelites are planning to escape from Egypt and an old Israelite man named Moses thinks he can lead them to the land of Canaan the land their god Adonai promised their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While working Jesse gets hit on the head with a piece of metal, Jennat now being promised to In-hop-tep (her master) has more power so she gets the master physician for Jesse. Moses asks the pharaoh if they can leave Egypt; the pharaoh says no so Adonai gets mad and four plagues occur: the Nile River turns to blood, lice invade, and locust eats all the crops, and finally makes all the first born children will die unless they put a symbol made out of goat blood. After all these plagues the pharaoh actually forces the Israelites to leave but before they leave Adonai tells them to go to everyone’s and ask for their jewels Jesse goes to Jennat’s house and tries to convince her to go to Canaan she declines but tells him to take Shepset her closest friend because she got hurt and fired as the priests’ dancer, Jennat wants him to take care of her as a favor; Jesse accepts for he thinks of Jennat as a friend. They finally left and Jesse’s mom Devorah immediately treating Shepset (not suspecting she was not an Israelite). After figuring out Shepset is not an Israelite Devorah says she must go with the other clans. Jesse finds Jannet in the clan he is filled with joy he goes to see why she came she told him that her mistress tried to kill her (Jesse thinks he loves Jannet but he is promised to Talia his cousin who he does not love). Moses goes up onto a mountain and talks to Adonai he takes to long and the people make a golden calf the god gets very angry and kills many people. My favorite part was when Jesse’s Cousin Avi has left with Jennat and Shepset after a fight with his dad, Uncle Rimon because his dad was trying to protect him but he still didn’t understand. Uncle Rimon is dead now and his Mother Devorah died too because of a plague. Jesse then learns that Nathan is not his father and how he traded other babies for Jesse life so Devorah agreed to marry him Jesse then leaves after learning all of this information about his past; he takes some sheep and goats and leaves. Meanwhile Avi got Shepset pregnant and after hearing the news about how the clan that they are with is trying to kill all of the Israelite for they now that last time the Israelites almost got killed by their god Adonai for worshipping another god. Avi and Jannet leave and run into Jesse right before he was about to die they told him what happened and they rushed to warn the Israelites. Will they make it on time to save the Israelites, will they make it to Canaan and will Jesse end up with Jannet? If you want to know the answers to these questions you need to read this terrific book.

Alex