In her mind, she knows that she is serving both God and her people. But in her heart, Miriam yearns for more. She longs to experience the privilege Moses has---to talk with God face to face. But when God finally does speak directly to her, the outcome is not at all what she expects.
With her impeccable research and keen eye for detail, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith offers this epic novel to fill in the gaps in Miriam's story, following her from childhood to motherhood, obscurity to notoriety, and yearning to fulfilment as she learns that what God promises He provides---in His own perfect timing.
BOOK REVIEW: I was rather disappointed in this book. It spans nearly the entire lifetime of Miriam and Moses---close to 100 years. I enjoyed the first several chapters, and a few others throughout that ran steadily, but much of the story made drastic jumps, often of several years. I found it difficult to stay interested, and it felt like I got a general overview instead of an actual story. I think the book would be better if split into two books, with a steadier timeline applied.
I like how Jill gets us thinking about Moses' perspective of being raised with Pharoah's daughter. She suggests that his family taught him well of God while he was very young, and he remained true to that teaching while living with the Pharaoh's family. Therefore his time in the palace may have been quite restless and unpleasant as he waited to be reunited with the Israelites.
Miriam is called a prophetess in the Bible after the Red Sea crossing, when she leads the women in songs of praise. Of course we don't know how exactly she was a prophetess, but it is imagined that she may have received visions. It is also possible that she felt jealous of Moses' connection with God. Jill did a fabulous job of keeping Moses humble throughout these encounters. He explained to Miriam that no person is worthy of seeing God, including those whom He reveals Himself to. There are several other illustrations of humility in this story--when Miriam and Aaron complain about Moses' Cushite wife, when Aaron creates the golden calf, and an instance with Aaron and his family feeling inferior to Moses and Miriam.
While we
may not have all the details about Moses and Miriam’s lives, we know enough
about the exodus to be sobered by the many times Israel failed to trust in God.
They often complained and cast blame instead of remembering that God had
delivered them from harsh slavery. Jill shows through Miriam’s possible experiences
that to trust is always the right response. Even when God seems to be taking His
time or doing strange things, His way is always best.
This book is interesting if you are looking for an easy account of the Bible narrative, but as a story about Miriam herself I found it to be lacking. The story simply isn't steady enough to be drawn to the characters or feel them grow through the book. With the right expectations though, it can certainly be a good read. There are several marriages in this story, and while most of them are background characters, there are a few that may not be for very young readers.
I received a copy of this book from REVELL PUBLISHERS and was not required to give a positive review.
