Jewish Book Council: Here’s what you need to know about Evonne Marzouk’s The Prophetess

Yesterday I was privileged to present to the Jewish Book Council about my forthcoming novel, The Prophetess. It was an exciting and overwhelming experience! After twenty years of trying to write this book, three years of writing it, and two years of the publication journey, it was amazing to hold the book in my hand and share it with the Jewish world.

For those from the Jewish Book Council who might be coming to visit this website, I wanted to provide some additional information about the book.

Left: My ARC cover. It’s in your stack of books! Right: Thanks to Simona for taking this picture of me before my pitch.

Book description:

At 17 years old, Rachel is a typical American teenager — a senior in high school, with friends, college aspirations, and a crush on the football player down the street. But when her religious grandfather dies, Rachel recalls the mystical stories he told her as a child, and finds herself pulled toward his ancient traditions.

At her grandfather’s synagogue during the high holidays, Rachel is drawn toward a mysterious stranger, and begins learning with him. Unexpected visions and holy teachings lead her down a path she never expected, as she is called to join a secret community of Jewish prophets. She will meet extraordinary teachers, face overwhelming challenges, and learn to use her gifts to help others, as she becomes the woman she never dreamed she could be.

Exploring modern adolescent anxieties and ancient mystical teachings, The Prophetess is a story about faith and sacrifice, promises kept through generations, and how, through the support of others, we can grow bigger than we ever believed we could be.

Amazon #1 New Release in Teen and Young Adult Jewish Fiction! Learn more at https://www.amazon.com/Prophetess-Novel-Evonnne-Marzouk/dp/161088504X/

The book is due out in October.

Questions about program possibilities? Let’s talk! Contact TheProphetessBook@gmail.com

Suggestions for Programs:

Programs for general audiences:

Jewish learning session on “who we are and our purpose in life”Book clubs (discussion guide available)Book reading with discussion on “growing into our gifts”Creative writing sessions on writing a novelThe challenges of writing a novel (author’s journey — Q&As available)

For women and young women:

Mother/daughter programmingRosh Chodesh gatheringsPre- or post-Bat Mitzvah learning classes

For young adults:

Confirmation classesJewish learning session on who we are and our purpose in life (focused on concerns of young adults)School-based program on novel writing

Author Q&A, book club discussion guide, and Jewish learning materials available.

Left: practice at the microphone before my JBC pitch. Right: Giving a reading as part of our community Open Mic Night.

Here is some advanced praise about the book:

“The Prophetess is an absorbing novel about an American teenage girl called to join a secret community of Jewish prophets. It weaves Jewish tradition, mysticism, modern Jewish-American life, and discovery of Israel into a coming-of-age story about a girl discovering her power and purpose in life. I found it hard to put down, and grabbed every free minute to see what happened next. Readers will thoroughly enjoy this superb novel.”

―Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, author of Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul, and winner of the JBC’s National Jewish Book Award

“This is a beautiful book. It gently unfolds and blossoms. As the book evolves, the reader is drawn deeper and deeper into thought and emotion, mimicking the journey of the young heroine. The relationships feel authentic and challenge us to examine our own family and friendship dynamics.”

— Lisa Litman, Director, PJ Goes to School (a program of PJ Library)

“The Prophetess is a deep and affecting spiritual page-turner. This very specific coming-of-age story about a Jewish teen’s blossoming relationship with G-d explores universal themes of love, purpose, family, identity, commitment, tradition, and faith. Tender, refreshing, luminous, and thoroughly immersive.”

— Michelle Brafman, author of Washing the Dead and Bertrand Court

“A story that straddles the ancient and modern worlds, that’s both timeless and imminent, and that’s full of legends but speaks of true things … The Prophetess masterfully captures the age when everything is strange and new and dangerous — the emotional instability of being a teenager and the spiritual instability of―spoiler alert―finding out you’re a prophet. Evonne Marzouk’s The Prophetess is a story that begs to be read.”

― Matthue Roth, author, Never Mind the Goldbergs

“Exquisitely crafted. Evonne uses her imaginative skills to create a world for a modern prophetess … and she describes brilliantly the very real struggles of adolescence to navigate relationships and to claim, and reclaim, her authentic Jewish heritage.”

― Ruthie Feldman, author of The Green Bubbie, as well as a Jewish educator and artist

“Evonne Marzouk’s The Prophetess is an amazing coming-of-age tale set in the modern world. Rachel’s journey has so many twists and turns; there is a surprise every chapter. It is a story of love, loss, redemption, and finding yourself, all while navigating high school. This book will help you find your purpose in life. As a teen, I related to the characters and their daily struggles. I think that this novel is a must read. It has a great plot with interesting characters, and it always has you coming back for more. I couldn’t put it down.”

— Ayelet, 13, Silver Spring, MD [Orthodox]

“This book is truly life changing. It gives me a different perspective on my Judaism and how to look at problems. I talked to my librarian about getting the book for the library and she said that it would help other people have different perspectives on Judaism. I recommend this book to anyone who likes books about people discovering their true selves and how they see their religion.”

— Jenessa, age 12, Livermore, California [Reform]

“Rachel’s fascinating, beautifully-written story definitely resonates with me. It opened my eyes to a fresh perspective on the effects of prophecy. It created a narrative for me to understand how this Divine gift could change familial and social relationships forever. And it made me appreciate those willing to hear this calling despite the personal sacrifice they must endure.”

―Elana Weinberg, Jewish educator, Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy

“Evonne Marzouk’s The Prophetess is a beautiful story of spiritual searching and coming of age. With an expert hand, she manages to meld the ancient and the modern to create a compelling story of growing up both spiritually and emotionally.”

― Adina Rishe Gewirtz, author of Zebra Forest and Blue Window

“I really did not know what to expect and, being a Catholic, I was concerned I might find myself lost in a religious world that was foreign to me. I was quickly drawn in by the story of Rachel, a 17-year-old who is working through questions about life, faith, and relationships. Rachel’s story felt strangely familiar and mirrored my own experiences in many ways. I think other readers would find the same to be true for them. I particularly appreciated Rachel’s confusion about prayer, suffering, sacrifice, and forgiveness. Rather than feeling lost in a different religious world, I found an invitation to learn and understand a bit about Orthodox Judaism and prophetic tradition. Rachel’s friends were a study in themselves, variously supporting, challenging, and being confused by her actions and choices. I thought the author did a very good job of depicting the late teen and early adult years of life.”

— Mary Beaudoin, Director of Religious Education, Saint Raphael Catholic Church (Rockville, MD)

“A unique, spiritual fantasy about a modern teenager called upon to fulfill an ancient Divine calling. Marzouk’s masterful weaving of mysticism, modernity, and magic creates a truly original and unforgettable coming-of-age story.”

―Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood and other YA novels

“What would happen if an American teenager began receiving visions from God? How would it affect her relationships, her education, her self-conception? In The Prophetess, Evonne Marzouk answers these questions with empathy and insight. As the journey of the main character (Rachel) expands out from her family, friends, and community into mysticism, prophecy, and trips to Israel, Marzouk brings her relationships, along with the reader, into Rachel’s new and surprising realities. A gripping read with many resources at the end of the book to learn more about the ideas and rituals introduced in the engaging story.”

― Rabbi Dorothy Richman, Makor Or: Jewish Meditation Center, San Francisco, California

“The Prophetess by Evonne Marzouk is an engrossing story of a young woman, Rachel, on the cusp of adulthood grappling with the issues facing all high school seniors…. Rachel’s story, though told from an American-Jewish perspective, is a universal one and affords readers at any age, especially young adults, an opportunity to reflect on their own gifts, choices, and goals. Reading The Prophetess is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking experience. Delving into its pages is highly recommended for anyone living among other people and travelling through life — basically all of us!”

— Michele Glazer Ben, English Language Educator, Yavneh Israel

“An intriguing, mysterious, and engrossing combination of mysticism, Jewish observance, and concerns any typical teenager might have: family dynamics, school, romance, and friendship. Daily life and mystical experience combine in ways that drew me in and made me want to keep reading. New twists keep appearing, making it hard to put the book down. The Prophetess is easy to read and, at the same time, filled with compelling emotions and ideas.”

— Stephanie Wellen Levine, Author of Mystics, Mavericks, and Merrymakers: An Intimate Journey Among Hasidic Girls

“The Prophetess is a lovely story, told with humility and grace. Rachel’s seesawing journey through deep questions of friendship, relationship, and spirituality is one that many young adult readers will appreciate. The theme of maintaining religious observance amid a secularized environment also resonates. The Prophetess was a captivating read, worthy of your time and soul.”

— Marc Rudolph, Fourth & Fifth grade teacher, Compass Charter School, Brooklyn, NY

“The Prophetess will appeal to young girls grappling with coming-of-age challenges, women of all ages wrestling with questions of observance, spirituality, and the Divine, and anyone simply in the market for a good, cannot-put-it-down read. It is an engrossing page-turner.”

— Sharon Freundel, Managing Director, Jewish Education Innovation Challenge