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Treacherous Waters: Zahla's Story
Treacherous Zahla’s Story - is book eight in the Mysteries & Wonders of the Bible fiction series.
Determined to keep the Hebrews enslaved, the king of Egypt devises his most dreadful edict yet. He commands that the Hebrew midwives are to kill all newborn boys. Zahla cannot help but fear for her dear cousin, Puah, who works as a Hebrew midwife. Especially when Puah refuses to obey Pharoah’s appalling order.
Zahla soon realizes she must act herself. She finds help from a most unexpected an Egyptian guard named Merin. Together, they organize an intricate network to save as many children as they can. Zahla knows that one day God will come to their aid and free them from Pharaoh…but she, Merin, and her family will have to survive first.
Determined to keep the Hebrews enslaved, the king of Egypt devises his most dreadful edict yet. He commands that the Hebrew midwives are to kill all newborn boys. Zahla cannot help but fear for her dear cousin, Puah, who works as a Hebrew midwife. Especially when Puah refuses to obey Pharoah’s appalling order.
Zahla soon realizes she must act herself. She finds help from a most unexpected an Egyptian guard named Merin. Together, they organize an intricate network to save as many children as they can. Zahla knows that one day God will come to their aid and free them from Pharaoh…but she, Merin, and her family will have to survive first.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2025
About the author
Melanie Dobson
53 books1,850 followersWriting fiction is a fun excuse for Melanie to explore ghost towns and old houses, travel to unusual places, and spend hours reading dusty books and journals. She writes both contemporary and historical fiction with threads of romance and suspense.
Melanie is the award-winning author of almost thirty time-slip, historical romance, suspense, and contemporary novels including Catching the Wind, The Winter Rose, and The Wings of Poppy Pendleton. Five of her novels including Chateau of Secrets have won Carol Awards, Catching the Wind won the Audie 2018 Inspirational Fiction award, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana. Catching the Wind and Memories of Glass were both finalists for Christy Awards in historical fiction.
Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with Jon's work, the Dobsons have finally settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to travel and hike in both the mountains and the cliffs above the Pacific. When Melanie isn't writing or researching, she enjoys line dancing, biking, and making up stories with her kids.
More information about her and her books is available on her website at www.melaniedobson.com. You can also connect with Melanie at www.facebook.com/melaniedobsonfiction.
Melanie is the award-winning author of almost thirty time-slip, historical romance, suspense, and contemporary novels including Catching the Wind, The Winter Rose, and The Wings of Poppy Pendleton. Five of her novels including Chateau of Secrets have won Carol Awards, Catching the Wind won the Audie 2018 Inspirational Fiction award, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana. Catching the Wind and Memories of Glass were both finalists for Christy Awards in historical fiction.
Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with Jon's work, the Dobsons have finally settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to travel and hike in both the mountains and the cliffs above the Pacific. When Melanie isn't writing or researching, she enjoys line dancing, biking, and making up stories with her kids.
More information about her and her books is available on her website at www.melaniedobson.com. You can also connect with Melanie at www.facebook.com/melaniedobsonfiction.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 29, 2025
One of the reasons I love the Mysteries and Wonders of the Bible series so much is that it's unique. It's respectful of and faithful to Scripture, yet it covers facets and "blank spaces" of the Bible that are seldom if ever discussed. Among these books though, Treacherous Waters might be the most unique one so far. For a fairly short book, it stands out in Biblical fiction, period.
I was surprised and intrigued because Melanie Dobson attempted what is essentially a split time plot in the Biblical fiction genre. She's known for split time fiction, and I look forward to her new historical releases whenever one is announced. This one though, exceeded any and all my expectations. Melanie manages to keep two timeframes that are fairly close together, entirely distinct and well-developed. She also gives readers a wonderful portrait of her protagonist Zahla as a young, learning woman, and a great-grandmother.
Zahla herself is a wonderful main character. She's bold to the point of recklessness, but said recklessness is incredibly selfless. She asks the questions no one else does or can, and while she's realistic about the plight of herself and her family, her faith in Yahweh and people remains unshakable.
Even when she worries Merin has betrayed everything they have worked and stood for, which she would have good reason to fear, Zahla responds with a mix of determination, boldness, and maturity I don't often see in protagonists like her, or protagonists, period. I also loved how, although she is squeamish about the birth process, Zahla becomes a key player in the network to save Hebrew babies. More than many protagonists in positions like hers, she struck me as perfect for the calling before her.
Merin, too, is a wonderful character. Yes, he is a perfect match for Zahla and yes, they have romantic chemistry. What I liked most though, is that these two are "friends first," within a country and a social divide wherein that friendship should never work. Because of that, they're less friends than partners much of the time--partners on an absolutely crucial mission that may be familiar to a lot of readers, but still carries high stakes. I have seen this type of matchup in other books, but that mix of friend, partner, and romantic interest is tough to pull off. Melanie did it with aplomb.
The other characters, from Abba to Joseph to Puah, to even Ahmed and some of the children, are as three-dimensional as most characters in this series are. Yet even they are drawn with more depth than usual. I think it's because of the backdrop and stakes they find themselves dealing with; such a dramatic story needs strong characters to carry it.
Even without that though, I felt I knew everyone in new and deeper ways. Joseph in particular stands out, partially because of the ancestor he's named for and how he lives up to that name. Abba stands out for his dedication to family and determination not to let anyone's spirit be broken. And while I had met Puah in other novels, I loved the portrayal of her here, as a midwife, a mom, and a woman.
Finally, I want to give Melanie major kudos for her spiritual threads. Per the norm, here they cannot be separated from the plot. As I mentioned, the Exodus story is familiar to many readers, myself included. Melanie Dobson takes readers on a new journey by looking at facets and periods the Bible leaves "blank," but could easily have happened based on Scripture and solid research. I loved the idea of a network of mothers, families, and even soldiers helping to rescue Hebrew male babies. It also struck me that such a "network" could've been the precursor for similar heroic stories throughout history. Additionally, I loved the messages of life, hope, and the truth that God is at work even when we can't see Him or doubt He is working. It's a "basic" truth if you've grown up with it, but this book made it immediate and refreshing.
Treacherous Waters starts off slow. Additionally, the characters and narration sometimes lapse into repetition, either of plans and concepts or emotions. For those reasons, I removed a star. However, there's a ton to love about this book, particularly when it picks up. Treacherous Waters is a treasure and a must for your collection if you love Biblical fiction, especially the many takes on the Exodus story. Said story remains epic for a reason!
I was surprised and intrigued because Melanie Dobson attempted what is essentially a split time plot in the Biblical fiction genre. She's known for split time fiction, and I look forward to her new historical releases whenever one is announced. This one though, exceeded any and all my expectations. Melanie manages to keep two timeframes that are fairly close together, entirely distinct and well-developed. She also gives readers a wonderful portrait of her protagonist Zahla as a young, learning woman, and a great-grandmother.
Zahla herself is a wonderful main character. She's bold to the point of recklessness, but said recklessness is incredibly selfless. She asks the questions no one else does or can, and while she's realistic about the plight of herself and her family, her faith in Yahweh and people remains unshakable.
Even when she worries Merin has betrayed everything they have worked and stood for, which she would have good reason to fear, Zahla responds with a mix of determination, boldness, and maturity I don't often see in protagonists like her, or protagonists, period. I also loved how, although she is squeamish about the birth process, Zahla becomes a key player in the network to save Hebrew babies. More than many protagonists in positions like hers, she struck me as perfect for the calling before her.
Merin, too, is a wonderful character. Yes, he is a perfect match for Zahla and yes, they have romantic chemistry. What I liked most though, is that these two are "friends first," within a country and a social divide wherein that friendship should never work. Because of that, they're less friends than partners much of the time--partners on an absolutely crucial mission that may be familiar to a lot of readers, but still carries high stakes. I have seen this type of matchup in other books, but that mix of friend, partner, and romantic interest is tough to pull off. Melanie did it with aplomb.
The other characters, from Abba to Joseph to Puah, to even Ahmed and some of the children, are as three-dimensional as most characters in this series are. Yet even they are drawn with more depth than usual. I think it's because of the backdrop and stakes they find themselves dealing with; such a dramatic story needs strong characters to carry it.
Even without that though, I felt I knew everyone in new and deeper ways. Joseph in particular stands out, partially because of the ancestor he's named for and how he lives up to that name. Abba stands out for his dedication to family and determination not to let anyone's spirit be broken. And while I had met Puah in other novels, I loved the portrayal of her here, as a midwife, a mom, and a woman.
Finally, I want to give Melanie major kudos for her spiritual threads. Per the norm, here they cannot be separated from the plot. As I mentioned, the Exodus story is familiar to many readers, myself included. Melanie Dobson takes readers on a new journey by looking at facets and periods the Bible leaves "blank," but could easily have happened based on Scripture and solid research. I loved the idea of a network of mothers, families, and even soldiers helping to rescue Hebrew male babies. It also struck me that such a "network" could've been the precursor for similar heroic stories throughout history. Additionally, I loved the messages of life, hope, and the truth that God is at work even when we can't see Him or doubt He is working. It's a "basic" truth if you've grown up with it, but this book made it immediate and refreshing.
Treacherous Waters starts off slow. Additionally, the characters and narration sometimes lapse into repetition, either of plans and concepts or emotions. For those reasons, I removed a star. However, there's a ton to love about this book, particularly when it picks up. Treacherous Waters is a treasure and a must for your collection if you love Biblical fiction, especially the many takes on the Exodus story. Said story remains epic for a reason!
September 9, 2025
Some discrepancies?
Biblical fiction gives the author the right to fictionalize some of the story. However, there were two areas that I felt were fictionalized in a way that countered the Truth of God's Word:
1. The threat to Aaron's life as an infant; and
2. Zahla's barely getting out of the Red Sea before being swept away by the water that had begun to close in on her before getting out and onto dry land.
These may not seem important but they ruffled against God's written word, even if fictional.
I also found some of the writing to be a little immature, not on the same level of writing as the rest of this series.
It was a good story but I truly struggled to finish it. Most of the story could be predicted and some of it was very disappointing.
Finally, I didn't like that she didn't have any biological children with her husband, but only those rescued from Pharaoh's edict.
Looking forward to the next book.
Biblical fiction gives the author the right to fictionalize some of the story. However, there were two areas that I felt were fictionalized in a way that countered the Truth of God's Word:
1. The threat to Aaron's life as an infant; and
2. Zahla's barely getting out of the Red Sea before being swept away by the water that had begun to close in on her before getting out and onto dry land.
These may not seem important but they ruffled against God's written word, even if fictional.
I also found some of the writing to be a little immature, not on the same level of writing as the rest of this series.
It was a good story but I truly struggled to finish it. Most of the story could be predicted and some of it was very disappointing.
Finally, I didn't like that she didn't have any biological children with her husband, but only those rescued from Pharaoh's edict.
Looking forward to the next book.
June 29, 2026
Zahala is the daughter of the Hebrew winemaker to pharoah. Her cousin Puah is a Hebrew midwife, When pharoah declares all boys born to the Hebrews are to be killed Zahla is afraid for Puah who will not obey this cruel law. Zahla realizes she must do something and she does. With the help of Merin a Medjay of pharaoh she saves as many boys as possible. Treacherous Waters:Zahala story is not only of that time but also of the slaves leaving Egypt years later and coming to the Red Sea where they would be trapped with pharoah's army on one side and no way of crossing the sea. Trusting in God they cross on dry land thru the waters he held back for them. Zahala is with small children as she walks the sea bed separated from her family in the escape. Melanie Dobson is the author of this Mysteries and Wonders of the Bible story
July 19, 2026
Loved this interpretation of the years of bondage and the subsequent Exodus to freedom.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews