The Birthright

by Loralee Evans

As a young girl, Miriam must flee her home in a Lamanite village to escape her birthright—to be offered as a sacrifice to the Lamanite gods. During her flight in the deep jungles, Miriam crosses paths with Jacob, a young Nephite soldier who saves her life and leads her to safety among the Nephites. Years later, now a young woman, Miriam meets Jacob again. She is surprised to find that the sisterly affection she felt for him so long ago has developed into something deeper. But before she or Jacob can discover their true feelings for one another, war comes to the lands of the Nephites, and both Miriam and Jacob find themselves thrown into a whirlwind of struggles. As they fight to keep their faith alive, they are drawn even closer together.

Genres: Lds, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

257 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

Some of Loralee Evans’ earliest memories are of sitting with her mom or dad while they read her stories like The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, or Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. These memories, along with many great teachers who got her excited about reading, are what helped her develop a love of books, and of writing. She has lived in Missouri, Texas, and Utah, and even spent a year and a half in Japan.

Reviews

[Rachel Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of my five star review is nostalgia, as I’ve read this book multiple times since I was a teenager and I’ve loved it each time. This time I read it out loud to my husband and he loved it, too. There are four typos, plenty of grammatical errors, and it jumps around in an inconsistent way at times, so the writing is a 3 or 4 star. But TRULY it’s worth the read anyways!! Easy, quick, clean, every single chapter leaves you wondering what happens next. Tons of action. Romance. Sorrow. Miracles. It’s so good! I love the real life characters (Teancum and Moroni to name a couple) and true events that this story is based on from The Book of Mormon (last half of Alma). I love reading about the Nephites and Lamanites. It really brings it to life for me. I stand by my five stars well aware of the typos and errors! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to find out what happens next, go find the book and read it! I promise you will enjoy it! It has Romance, Drama, Action, Friendship, Trust. Everything you could ever want. It has also got some famous people from the Book of Mormon in it, and it feels like you are right beside them during some epic moments.
I hope this inspires you to start reading this book. It has got to be one of my all time favorites. As you will find out I enjoy reading time period books. So keep a look out!

[Makalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite LDS books. This is a book that will be more confusing initially if you are not familiar with the LDS culture, specifically The Book of Mormon, as some of the characters and plot ties directly into events in The Book of Mormon. That being said The Birthright follows a young girl named Miriam and her struggle through loss, love, and war all while trying to keep her new found faith strong and her family safe.

[MaDiSoN_RaNaE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not finished with it yet, but it is really good so far! It is 1 of the best LDS books I have ever read!!

[Tamra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loralee has a gift for discription. Great read!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one too. I can't believe how she connects the two books. It's really cool.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good story, although I almost didn't make it past the first page or two that was filled with details that weren't grabbing my attention. I'm glad I kept going because the story was enjoyable. It mixes fictional characters with real people from the Book of Mormon during some of the wars. It was fun to be reminded of some familiar stories, and also interesting to consider what could have been happening in the lives the people more so than what is recorded.

The book jumps around a bit from different character's points of view, which at times frustrates me. I get into what is happening with one character and then have to wait for a chapter or two to get back to what is happening with them.

[Jana Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd actually say 3.5 stars, because the story itself gets a 4, but the writing gets a 3. The comma usage and awkward wording, the abrupt point-of-view switches, and the sometimes confusing timeline all got a bit distracting at times. But I really loved the story itself; it had a sweet love story and was set during a very interesting part of The Book of Mormon. It was an easy read, and a lot happened in it, which I always appreciate so I don't have to skip the boring parts! ;)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story gave me insights as to what it might have been like to live in a time of constant battle. Imagine sending those you love to fight not knowing if you'll ever see them again--always on the move. I really liked Miriam coming of age and finally allowing Jacob to love her as the woman she's become. The last few pages were ripped out of my book and I had to rush to the library to finish it!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story set in Book of Mormon history, but it reminded me of a Rachel Nunes book, where horrible, bad things keep happening to the heroine, with never a break - enough already!

Also, this book needed better editing. There were lots of moments where I wasn't following what was going, because it wasn't clear.

Good read, though!

[Kristen Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn't plan on liking this one. It was just a easy read recommended by somebody at the library. But I found myself really enjoying it. Rich description about Book of Mormon era living, and just enough romance to keep me interested in the characters.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is set back in Nephite times. It tells of the lives and adventures of Miriam and Jacob. Miriam is part Nephite and part Lamanite. Jacob is Nephite. He finds her as a young child with her adopted brother as they are trying to reach the Nephite village of Morianton.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun read, not on my favorites list. About a Lamanite girl who has to flee her home so she won't become a human sacrifice. She lives in safety with the Nephites.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the time of the Book of Mormon, I liked how the author used facts from the book of Alma to weave a story that was interesting and insightful.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

So cheesy. Interesting. Good fast read though.