Escape from Egypt

Sonia Levitin is a renowned author of young adult stories, who lives up to her reputation in this retelling of the story of the Exodus. Jesse, a Hebrew slave, is the main character, along with Jennat, a half-Egyptian, half-Syrian girl Jesse falls in love with. The story revolves around their adventures while leaving Egypt during the ten plagues. Grace Conlin reads this enchanting narrative with subtle intonations to identify the characters. 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. M.B.K. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

April 4, 1994
Not even the amply gifted Levitin ( Journey to America ; The Golem and the Dragon Girl ) can quite pull off this one, a coming-of-age/love story set against the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. As usual, Levitin's characterizations are superb; here, she draws particularly complex, believable portraits of a half-Egyptian, half-Syrian slave girl and a Jewish slave boy striving to reconcile integrity and passion. But the unusual verisimilitude of her writing may be at cross purposes with the attempt to convey the powerful themes of the Passover story. Taken literally, the mythic qualities of the biblical plagues and miracles shrink (``The raging green-and-gray waters were pulled back and back as if by invisible hands. The sea was raised up into two walls. Now the seafloor lay exposed''). On the other hand, 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, however uneasy its combination of the divine and the day-to-day, will spur her audience to fresh appraisals of sacred history. Ages 12-up.

October 1, 1995
Perky Elizabeth Jones jets off on her fantasy vacation to Denmark. Wide-eyed and full of anticipation in finally taking her dream trip, Elizabeth is shocked and delighted to discover that her idol, Nobel prize-winning historian and kooky eccentric Margaret Rosenberg is aboard her plane. Determined to meet this icon, Elizabeth manages to pull several gaffes, alienating Margaret's son in the process, but eventually succeeding in her mission. However, directly upon arriving in Copenhagen, Margaret vanishes. Elizabeth teams up with the irascible son, Christian, in searching the city. A baffling ransom demand for a bathrobe rather than money sends them on a frantic quest through underground crypts and to the graves of ancient queens. Kidnapped, questioned, and thoroughly frightened, they discover the disappearance of Margaret is connected with an ancient artifact that is a mystery unto itself. This is an entertaining tale, full of charm and the inevitable love story, even if the author's (Night Train to Memphis, Audio Reviews, LJ 9/15/95) final resolution is somewhat stale. The characters are appealing, especially the unconventional Margaret. Her flair for disguise and intrigue would make her an exceptional detective, and I would have enjoyed rather more of her and less of the two rather adolescent young people. Recommended for public libraries.-Roxanna Herrick, Washington Univ. Lib., St. Louis