“Goodbye, gurgling Jabbok. Goodbye, gentle hills of Gilead. Goodbye, ancestral traditions. Goodbye, curses of Levi. Hello, fun and games—fame and fortune—license and luxury. I’m a rich man now!” said Ishmael. “I’ll find my fortune in Calah.”
Bradley Booth adds flesh and bones—and amazing depth of detail—to Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. He weaves a riveting story of greed, jealousy, anguish, and finally, transforming love.
 
Ishmael and Levi are brothers, worlds apart in their aspirations, who cartwheel down opposite tracks in life. Alternating chapters chronicle the zigs and zags of their fortunes in the Middle East. Both men learn valuable lessons about life and the need for family. Both come to see that one can remain an island, and that sooner or later the choices we make will return to haunt us.
 
At last, in a pigpen, the prodigal Ishmael admits failure. He has squandered freedom, independence, and family money, and now must come home to reconcile with his family. And he must contend with a vindictive Levi. The stay-at-home brother has become a prosperous community leader who now holds title to everything of significance in the family.
 
The Prodigal demonstrates the hazards of stubborn pride and independence. Without God and family, the world is not enough. In the end the smart thing is to return to the loving arms we left behind.