Please welcome my guest author today, she has a little bit to tell us of her love of ancient history and how she came about writing her debut novel so take a seat and like I did enjoy:
INSPIRATIONS FROM ANTIQUITY
by Anna Patricio
My debut novel 'Asenath' is about the little-known wife of Joseph of
the multi-colored coat. It may seem curious as to why I chose this
obscured, nearly forgotten woman of the Bible to write about - as a
matter of fact, when I tell people I have written about her, the most
common reaction I get is, "I didn't know Joseph had a wife!" (And let
me tell you, if I got a dollar everytime I heard that remark...)
However, that is exactly why she would make such a great topic for a
fiction. Because hardly anything is known about her, I am thus at
liberty to stretch my imagination as far as possible.
Of course, that is not the only reason why I chose to write about
Asenath. I have loved the Biblical account of Joseph for a long time.
Though I have been familiar with it since childhood, it was only later
in life that I came to see what a touching and powerful tale it truly
was. I really admire Joseph's strength of character, how he remained
sweet and kind despite the numerous travails that befell him, even
forgiving his brothers in the end. The more I delved deeper into
Joseph's story, the more I realized why he continues to serve as an
inspiration for many.
Then somehow, somewhere along the way, I grew curious about the
Egyptian woman he married. Like many people (probably majority of the
world's population, or so it would seem), I too did not know Asenath
existed until I began reading up extensively on Joseph.
"Wow, really, Joseph got married?" were my thoughts when I first heard
about Asenath.
All Genesis tells us about Asenath is that she was a priest's daughter
who was given in marriage to Joseph as his reward for interpreting
Pharaoh's dreams. I wanted to know more about her, and began to look
her up. Alas, my research was in vain. There was hardly anything on
her. There was a few ancient accounts on her, probably the most famous
one the Greek apocryphal text 'Joseph and Asenath.' But they were all
fictional.
I then thought I could possibly imagine what she *might* have been
like.... and write about it. I didn't really think to take it to the
next level though - revisions, research, seeking publication etc. But
soon I grew attached... embedded, even, in the writing of 'Asenath.'
It was hard to let go of it. It had become a part of my life.
I was indeed afforded much liberty, due to Asenath's obscure status.
But a degree of research was required. I derived some inspiration from
other accounts of Joseph, such as the abovementioned apocryphal text
and even some episodes from the Quran. And of course, I also
researched on the lifestyle in Ancient Egypt.
Where there were grey areas (for instance, what certain temple
ceremonies might have been like), I simply incorporated artistic
licence, while trying to make it as believable as possible. I love
what famed historical novelist, Eloise Jarvis McGraw (author of 'Mara,
Daughter of the Nile) said, "I am not saying this is how it happened.
I am not even saying this is how it might have happened... I am only
saying, 'What if it happened this way?'"
photos and all info provided by author
GOODREADS BOOK LINK FOR INFO
BOOK BLURB:
Two Destinies...One Journey of Love
In a humble fishing village on the shores of the Nile lives Asenath, a
fisherman's daughter who has everything she could want. Until her
perfect world is shattered.
When a warring jungle tribe ransacks the village and kidnaps her,
separating her from her parents, she is forced to live as a slave. And
she begins a journey that will culminate in the meeting of a handsome
and kind steward named Joseph.
Like her, Joseph was taken away from his home, and it is in him that
Asenath comes to find solace…and love. But just as they are beginning
to form a bond, Joseph is betrayed by his master’s wife and thrown
into prison.
Is Asenath doomed to a lifetime of losing everything and everyone she loves?
GOODREADS BOOK LINK FOR INFO
BOOK BLURB:
Two Destinies...One Journey of Love
In a humble fishing village on the shores of the Nile lives Asenath, a
fisherman's daughter who has everything she could want. Until her
perfect world is shattered.
When a warring jungle tribe ransacks the village and kidnaps her,
separating her from her parents, she is forced to live as a slave. And
she begins a journey that will culminate in the meeting of a handsome
and kind steward named Joseph.
Like her, Joseph was taken away from his home, and it is in him that
Asenath comes to find solace…and love. But just as they are beginning
to form a bond, Joseph is betrayed by his master’s wife and thrown
into prison.
Is Asenath doomed to a lifetime of losing everything and everyone she loves?
author photo and bio provided by author
AUTHOR BIO:
Anna Patricio is a lover of ancient history, with a particular
interest in Egypt, Israel, Greece, and Rome. She is also intrigued by
the Ancient Near East, though she has not delved too much into it but
hopes to one day.
She undertook formal studies in Ancient History at Macquarie
University. She focused mostly on Egyptology and Jewish-Christian
Studies, alongside a couple of Greco-Roman units, and one on
Archaeology. Though she knew there were very limited job openings for
ancient history graduates, she pursued her degree anyway as it was
something she had always been passionate about.
Then, about a year after her graduation, the idea to tackle historical
fiction appeared in her head, and she began happily pounding away on
her laptop. ASENATH is her first novel.
Recently, she traveled to Lower Egypt (specifically Cairo and the
Sinai), Israel, and Jordan. She plans to return to Egypt soon, and see
more of it. In the past, she has also been to Athens and Rome.
Anna is currently working on a second novel, which still takes place
in Ancient Egypt, but hundreds of years after ASENATH.
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