Miriam by Mesu Andrews Series: Treasures of the Nile #2
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (2016 - March 15)
Paperback ARC (369 pages)
Via: Blogging for Books
Rating:
Also by this author: The Pharaoh's Daughter, Isaiah's Daughter, Isaiah's Legacy
Also in this series: The Pharaoh's Daughter
Reading Challenges: 2016 Royal Challenge, Read 2016
Synopsis
The Hebrews call me prophetess, the Egyptians a seer. But I am neither. I am simply a watcher of Israel and the messenger of El Shaddai. When He speaks to me in dreams, I interpret. When He whispers a melody, I sing.
At eighty-six, Miriam had devoted her entire life to loving El Shaddai and serving His people as both midwife and messenger. Yet when her brother Moses returns to Egypt from exile, he brings a disruptive message. God has a new name – Yahweh – and has declared a radical deliverance for the Israelites.
Miriam and her beloved family face an impossible choice: cling to familiar bondage or embrace uncharted freedom at an unimaginable cost. Even if the Hebrews survive the plagues set to turn the Nile to blood and unleash a maelstrom of frogs and locusts, can they weather the resulting fury of the Pharaoh?
Enter an exotic land where a cruel Pharaoh reigns, pagan priests wield black arts, and the Israelites cry out to a God they only think they understand.
Find the book: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository
My Review
First of all, look at that cover. It is gorgeous! Definitely a beautiful cover.
Miriam is the sequel to The Pharaoh’s Daughter and continues about forty some years after The Pharaoh’s Daughter concludes. Some of our characters are the same such as Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. There are also new characters such as Taliah.
I loved this book and had such a hard time putting it down. It starts with Aaron going to find Moses. Then Moses returns to Miriam’s house and the plagues begin. I really liked reading this and the personal stories of Eleazar, Taliah, and Miriam which gave more depth to the Exodus story.
I enjoyed the entire book and was so sad when it ended! I wasn’t ready for the end and I would love another book in this series. Maybe a book about Taliah and the time the Israelites spent in the desert. I would definitely read that.
Anyway, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite characters of Miriam (without any spoilers, of course, though I am assuming you know the story of Moses).
1. Eleazar
I love Eleazar’s devotion to his aunt, Miriam. He treats her almost as if she were his mother. He also takes his responsibility to Taliah very seriously because of a promise he made to her father. He isn’t too sure what he believes about the God of Israel. He feels that their God should never have let them become slaves to Egypt in the first place. It takes talking to Moses to help him figure things out.
2. Taliah
Taliah is such an independent young woman, at least she wants to be. She is also rather naive thanks to her upbringing. Since she was five, she has lived in the harem being educated to be able to teach Pharaoh’s sons which she has done well. She is ignorant of life in the slave village until suddenly she is living with Miriam in just such a slave village.
3. Miriam
Miriam has long enjoyed a relationship with God whereby she became known as prophetess of the Hebrew people. The thing I loved about her the most was her struggle to adjust when Moses returned. She felt distanced from God because God had chosen Moses to free the Hebrews. God had told Moses His Name. She felt God was no longer the same God. It took her time to realize she was the mistaken one. God merely had other plans for Miriam.
I enjoyed reading about Miriam’s struggles and how she was able to reconcile everything in the end. Some of the things Miriam says to others, as well as what is said to her, is so great. She speaks of the different ways God can speak to His children. I loved reading these parts.
Basically, this book was AMAZING! I loved it so very much and I highly recommend Miriam to everyone, though I would recommend The Pharaoh’s Daughter first because otherwise some small things might not make the most sense.
I received this book for free from the publisher via Blogging for Books for
review consideration. This in no way affects my opinion of the title
nor the content of this review.
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