Miriam

by Lois T. Henderson

Miriam retells the profoundly moving story of Moses' older sister, whose instrumental role in the Exodus is only part of her destiny. Miriam's greatest struggle is within her own heart; her ultimate victory is a hard-won faith strengthened in the crucible of the desert, tested by her own pride and arrogance, and ultimately affirmed by God's mercy and grace.
Retaining biblical authenticity while resourcefully filling in historical, cultural, and narrative details, Lois Henderson skillfully mingles historical events—the devastation of the plagues, the miracle of the manna, the receiving of the Ten Commandments—with brilliantly realized portraits of some of the Old Testament's most famous figures, bringing alive the excitement and epic drama of Moses' return to Egypt and the deliverance of the children of Israel. Watching history unfold through Miriam's eyes, sharing in the joy, pain, doubt, and ultimate faith at the heart of her story, the reader is caught up in the destinies of Miriam, Moses, their brother Aron, the Israelite people, and the world.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Historical, Womens

261 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Lois T. Henderson is an American author of Christian novels, many of which are dramatizations of Biblical narratives about women.

Reviews

[Nadine Keels]

Pivotal in the life of the prophet Moses is his older sister in Miriam by author Lois T. Henderson.

Back when I was younger, I rather liked this older ChristFic book. Although I couldn't fully connect with its flow back then, I enjoyed it much as I would other stories that gave this historical/period fiction lover an engaging sense of another time and place.

Nowadays, I don't always enjoy biblical fiction as much as I once did. I used to take many Bible stories and details for granted, partly because I heard them so often. But now when I actually stop and give them deeper thought rather than just ingest them, they hit differently.

I'm no longer that comfortable as I read a story where the women are viewed and treated as subservient to men, and blatantly so. There's a difference between a narrative that presents such subservience as something up for serious questioning or a challenge, and a story like this one, where the subservience is written as either the proper way or pretty much "just the way it is" for the characters. And while it also wasn't my first time feeling a sense of tragedy concerning the legendary account of plagues sweeping through Egypt, it struck me in a new way to imagine a scenario with untold numbers of children, including babies, suffering the effects of divinely orchestrated disasters.

I won't go further into that here, but no. I don't take that kind of thing for granted anymore.

Also, it isn't as easy as it once was for me to read novels with unlikable protagonists. I realize Miriam's flaws are an intentional aspect of the plot, and through much of the story, she isn't presented as over the top. Still, aside from the fact that her changeful moods are sometimes difficult to follow, she's prideful, irritable, jealous, resentful, selfish, and racist. She gradually worsens until about the last ten pages of the book.

I think that being able to connect with lead characters, rather than merely reading about the interesting events in their lives, is more important to me now than it was in the past. I didn't connect with this story's heroine.

Even so, the novel's style has more of a natural feel than other older ChristFic books I've read. And I think it's worth it for me to revisit certain books to get a better sense of my overall, ongoing journey as a reader.

[Violet James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable easy read of bibical fiction.

I think Henderson's writing flows well and engages the reader.

[Claudia Mundell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting novel with a fiesty but imperfect character who is the sister of Moses...depicts the lowly status of women and their struggle to be noticed in the male world of Hebrews as they head for the promised land. Although based on the Bible stories of Moses, the book is a novel so the author has created Miriam as she sees her, creating situations that only "may have been". Still the book is a pleasant and thought-provoking read.

[Anne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the story of Miriam, Moses’ sister. The author took what was in the Bible and added fictional details that made the story of the Exodus seem more real, human, and with many emotions. The story starts with Miriam being a slave to Princess Hapithet, the woman who raised Moses as an Egyptian. Moses has been gone from Egypt after he killed an Egyptian and the women wonder if he’ll ever be back. He does come back because Yahweh has spoken to him about freeing the Chosen People from slavery.
Yahweh sends the plagues to the Egyptian people, Princess Hapithet dies, and Moses assigns Miriam and his niece Isha to be in charge of the women when they escape. The Hebrews are able to cross the parted sea, are given quail and manna to eat, endure fighting with the Amalekites, and celebrate not only winning, but also the marriage of Isha and Zarim, from another tribe, but who saved Isha and the women during the battle.
Moses received the Ten Commandments and is disappointed to return to the people worshipping a golden calf.
Moses’ wife Zipporah dies, and Miriam is grateful to be able to take care of her sons as her own. But when Moses remarries, Miriam is not pleased and is mad and upset that she won’t have the boys any longer. God punishes Miriam for getting angry at Moses, but she is healed in seven days, grateful to start her life with her tribe and family again, knowing that Yahweh is always with her.

[Marguerite · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked reading this book and I related a bit to Miriam in trying to find out where she belonged. The story is based on scripture of the Old Testament gave a look into Miriam, Aaron and Moses and their relationship. I found it to be insightful and look forward to reading the other books by this author. (A Guideposts Book). <3

[Marilyn Nixon]

Liked it and thought it was well done

[Aashish Titha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good story.

[Robyn Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about Miriam. It ties together the little we know about her and what it may have been like to be the sister of Moses and Aaron. A good read!

[Ursula Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is very disappointing in that early in the story there is a blazing error in the facts: Aaron is already a priest and wears his priestly garments before Pharaoh when he goes with Moses to try to free the people from slavery! The Aaronic priesthood actually wasn't established until after the people had been delivered from Egypt and quite a while after Moses was given the Law on Mt. Sinai and the tabernacle was constructed. Unfortunately, the error remains throughout the story. It is very distracting and I wonder how it is reconciled in Ms. Henderson's book. I don't even want to finish reading.

[Meadow Frisbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book!!
In the Bible He marries Zaporah, then further in the Bible it says that Miriam was mad that he married a Cushite women, the people who wrote this book thought it might mean that Zaporah died so he took a new wife, They think Zaporah wasn't Cushite, so, thy couldn't have meant her. It's a neat theory, but we will never know till we ask Moses face to face.

[Netta · Rating 4 out of 5]

God rocked me when I read this... and you'll have to ask me about the purple tamborine!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed each page and could not put it down until i was finished

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miriam, sister to Moses and Aaron.

[Allison Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not the best. I kind of lost interest halfway through.