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, … 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 know.
more
Mesu Andrews’ novels have transformed my ability to hear the heartbeat of biblical figures like Job, Dinah, and Solomon. Miriam brings another cast of familiar characters to vibrant life—Miriam, Moses, Eleazar, Aaron, Hur—mingling them seamlessly with an imagined circle of loved ones that will have readers eagerly turning pages to witness God’s stunning power at work for his people, both personally and nationally. With skillful prose, impeccable research and a clear devotion to the biblical account of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, Mesu Andrews depicts these Old Testament men and women with a sparkling clarity, never shying away from what makes them relatable human beings—the failings, triumphs, and yearnings that are timeless.
I loved this book and it kept my interest to the very end. Great author!
It was fascinating to read about the exodus from the eyes of Miriam.
I enjoy biblical fiction like this because it sends me to the scriptures. I never thought about what Miriam’s life might have been like. It was an interesting read.
This books brings religious history alive. Miriam is no longer just a name in the Bible to me.
I enjoyed this book, not quite as much as the first in the series, but I read it in a few days.
As usual, Mesu writes a wonderful book that makes you think about what the Children of Israel and the Egyptians went through. An amazing story of how God works!
Another Mesu Andrews book I can heartily recommend! This novel beautifully explored the relationship between Miriam and Yahweh – how He led her into a deep trust in Him and His unexpected ways. I loved how the author showed the spiritual struggle and victory of this great woman of faith.
The novel never (from my understanding) deviates from the biblical text, though it embellishes it. Through her meticulous adherence to Scripture, this author has shown me time and again that she reverences the Word of God, for which I’m thankful!
The attention to historical and cultural details provided a page-turning experience, as did the side-stories of Eleazar, Taliah, and others. The minor story threads all worked together with the major themes and story of Miriam herself. The depiction of the first Passover was excellent, as well.
Recommended for older teens and adults.
5 Things from Miriam
1)Plagues on Egypt from a far deeper perspective
2) Miriam is a Prophetess accustomed to hearing from the Lord
3)Her nephew, Eleazar is a hardened soldier serving the Egyptians
4)Love. New Love, Old love, and enduring love raging and passionate from the God who created all
5)Faith was a battle, its battlefield the mind. Surely this moment would determine victory or defeat in the struggle to trust the God they claimed as good.
Wonderful story of Moses and Miriam’s love story.
mess is an awesome writer
To unrealistic.
Miriam kept leading me back to the Bible to read about the events before the Exodus. Over & over again, I found some detail in Miriam that I had overlooked when reading or being taught about the plagues.
I never considered Miriam’s role or that of the Israelites as they waited to be delivered. Mesu captured their longing, fear & gratitude with words that played out in moments before me.
I learned about characteristics of God alongside Miriam, the main character. She was able to be a leader & a follower while learning about herself as God loved her.
I received this book from Waterbook Press, a division of Penguin Random House, in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book disappointing in its portrayal of Miriam as a tired old woman, frustrated in her yearnings for a spouse.
It’s common to read reviews in which the reviewer boasts of how quickly they’ve read the book or how impossible it was to put down. However, I believe some books are meant to be read slowly so the gravity of the events and the significance of the author’s message can penetrate our thoughts — such was the case with Miriam. Over the course of her previous 5 novels, Mesu Andrews has built a reputation of letting her love for teaching God’s Word spill over into her works of biblical fiction. Therefore, when I sat down to read Miriam I was prepared with post-it flags and a copy of the Bible. Call me a book nerd or bible geek, but in doing so, I’ve gained rich satisfaction from this novel and many points to ponder for days to come.
I’ll begin my praise by focusing on the main character of the story, Miriam. If you’ve read The Pharaoh’s Daughter, and I hope you have, you’ll recognize how Mesu maintains a consistent characterization of Miriam as a gentle and caring woman who places the needs of others before her own. We learn that in the time period between the first and second books, Miriam (who is now eighty-six years old) has become a trusted midwife/healer as well as a prophetess for Israel. My heart warmed to this elderly protagonist because her story brought to mind the many seasons of ministry we will experience. I found her reactions to change and her twinge of jealousy towards God’s call on others to be very… human.
With Miriam, I perceived subtle changes in Mesu’s writing as compared to her previous novels. Her scenes, which have always been ladened with rich historical details, felt even warmer — as if I’d been invited into Miriam’s actual longhouse versus simply picturing it in my mind. Additionally, she has ramped up the level of suspense! Even knowing that Mesu would not depart from scripture, I remained on the edge of my seat as Pharoah’s army came bearing down on the Hebrews. Finally, it seemed to me that love (familial and romantic) took a more central role in this story.
I could go on and on, but I fear I may give away too much. Read this book and remember my advice — some books are meant to be read slowly. Let the message seep in as you enjoy another fabulous biblical fiction novel by Mesu Andrews!
Christian Shelf-Esteem received a book to facilitate this review. The views and opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255 Guidelines, concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.
I love historical Christian fiction
Amazing book! I couldn’t put it down!
I absolutely loved this book. I have read the story in Exodus so many times but never like this. This book put meat on the bones and helped me see deeper into the story. It made me think. It challenged my faith and ask the hard questions. It helped me see my now and find God in it.
Fiction but biblical accurate. Very captivating.
In Miriam Mesu Andrews has created a gripping, well-researched novel that is a continuation of the story begun in The Pharaoh’s Daughter. After falling in love with Mesu’s writing in that novel, I opened Miriam with great anticipation. Written in a dramatic yet realistic style, this story captured me from the very first page. Mesu has taken great care in staying true to the Biblical text, while fleshing out parts of the story that are not touched on in scripture. I thought it was an interesting decision to have the story primarily from Miriam’s perspective, and a couple of other characters, but not Moses himself. I think it really allows the reader to imagine how they would have responded to the message that Moses brought the captive people in Egypt.
I was continually impressed by the realism of Miriam and the other characters. Since the events in book one, Miriam has aged and become a beloved prophetess and healer of her people. She is used to this role, as well as used to hearing God speak to her directly. Upon the arrival of Moses, she begins to doubt this role, and her reactions are very genuine and realistic. She doesn’t respond meekly, but rather questions God and presents insecurities in a very human way. I think it gave a lot of nuance to her character, as well as providing encouragement to the reader that everyone has seasons that are filled with more doubt than at other times. It just made her character that much more relatable.
Another key character, Eleazar, has this quality of realness to him as well. Despite being a slave, he is also a soldier and warrior, who once fought in battles, but now protects Pharaoh’s second son, Rameses. He is very stubborn and resistant to change, particularly the commands of a God that he doesn’t know or understand. As Miriam’s nephew, he is respectful of her faith, but doesn’t agree with it. He provides the perspective of a non-believer, slow to believe in contrast to Miriam’s deep, abiding faith. Having these two conflicting perspectives adds a great depth to the story that otherwise wouldn’t have been there if the story only came from Miriam’s point of view.
While the plot is not surprising to readers familiar with the Biblical story, it was surprisingly suspenseful! I could feel the tension of the Egyptian throne room, and the danger that the Hebrews faced every day was nearly palpable at times. Every time Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh on his throne, I feared for them, even though I knew exactly how Pharaoh was going to respond. In contrast to that, there were the lovely scenes in Miriam’s home, where her family gathered for their meals and times of fellowship. Those scenes just had a very warm quality to them. I realized that there were certain aspects of the story that I had never really thought about in earnest – the Passover scene had a strong, emotional impact on me; I had never really imagined being “passed over” but knowing that your neighbors were not. Throughout the whole story, the descriptions enveloped me fully into whatever scenes I was reading. Both the historical details and the humanness of the characters’ experiences made each moment compelling and readable.
I came away from reading Miriam with a renewed desire to dig into the account found in scripture, which I think is the best indicator of a well-done Biblical fiction novel. I don’t always react that way when I read a novel that tells a story found in the Bible, so the fact that I’ve done that with each novel of Mesu’s that I’ve read says a lot. She is one of my favorite authors in this genre. I’m hoping the Mesu comes back and visits the story of Joshua, who plays a smaller role in Miriam. I know in her hands it would be authentic, well-researched and encouraging, just like Miriam and The Pharaoh’s Daughter. Though you don’t have to read The Pharaoh’s Daughter to enjoy Miriam, definitely do give them both a read. I highly recommend Miriam for fans of historical fiction, especially set during the Biblical times.