The Life Giver: Shiphrah's Story

Ordinary Women of the Bible

by Connilyn Cossette

COMING FROM GENERATIONS OF MIDWIVES, it was only natural that Shiphrah follow in her family members’ footsteps. However, her journey as a midwife is not as simple as she’d hoped. Torn away from her family as a child and sold as a slave, Shiphrah struggles to find her place and her freedom. But things change after she saves the lives of her master’s wife and their child during a difficult birth. Now free, Shiphrah can truly fulfill her calling and, perhaps, even gain a family of her own. And yet, change is coming, and events take a dark turn when the king of Egypt demands that the midwives see to it that all male Hebrew babies die. As one who helps bring life into the world, how can she obey this cruel edict? With the help of El Shaddai, can Shiphrah find the courage to do the right thing?

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

ebook

First published August 14, 2024

About the author

Connilyn Cossette is a Christy Award-winning, bestselling author who loves digging into the ancient world of the Bible and crafting immersive stories that encourage readers to encounter the Great Storyteller himself. As the grateful adoptive mom of two homeschool graduates and a recent breast cancer survivor, she knows firsthand how Yahweh’s steadfast love redeems every unexpected plot twist. She and her husband of nearly thirty years are based just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, with suitcases always half-packed for their next adventure together.

Connect with her at ConnilynCossette.com

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story! Intriguing to imagine how things might have been.
A few things we added or inferred that didn't feel completely right, but none were necessarily impossible.
The historical note was interesting, especially things we know about the birthing process in ancient Egypt!
A decent book, but I don’t think I'd recommend it, or read it again.

[Mahaley Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life giver review

Once again, a Connilyn Cossette book has blown me away! I think she really has a gift of not only writing beautiful and meaningful words but also wisdom and understanding of the Bible that can only be gifted by God. You can see that gift on display in her stories! Her take on the stories of the midwives who defied Pharoah because they feared God seemed so real and I could easily imagine some of the stuff that happened to the characters happened to the real midwives, like living in slavery and dealing with the fear and struggles that came with that and the cruel task they were demanded to do. I learned a lot and it made me go back and read the story in the Bible to see all I could find of how it really happened.
I also think this story is the perfect prequel to her other books and reading this was a great way to prepare for the Out from Egypt series, which I plan to re read soon!
The biggest lesson this book taught me was reminding me to trust Yahweh and not to give fear the hold on me it’s wants to take. God is bigger than anything I have to fear and He can help me with anything. This book was a great reminder of that and I feel I decided to read it just when I needed the message inside the most.

“If there was anything she’d learned from standing before Pharoah in bold defiance of his evil command, it was that fear might seem to be a rushing river; it might roar loudly; it might scream and shout and lie about its true power, but it was nothing compared to the omnipotent God who’d carved the path of the mighty Nile with only a word from His mouth.”

[Savannah McCrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always liked the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, mentioned in the book of Exodus, and actually considered writing a story about them myself, so I was delighted to discover this biblical fiction book about Shiphrah! I got to be there for the births of all of my younger siblings and nieces and nephews and have also considered becoming a birth doula, so I loved all the midwifery/birth aspects of this story! I loved the message that “life is precious,” and how in the author’s note, she compared the Hebrew midwives to those who saved Jews during World War II, a similarity I’d noticed myself. I also liked the historical notes in the back of the book, and how, while it is fiction, it stayed true to the biblical account.

The only thing I didn’t like was the romance. It wasn’t bad or inappropriate; I just would have left out the kiss, and I thought the relationship moved way too fast–they meet, they avoid each other for a few weeks, then suddenly, they’re having a really deep conversation, and then confessing their love for each other!

None of the birth scenes were too detailed, in my opinion, but I’d still only recommend the book to older girls and women. ☺️

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My life is precious -all life is precious - and I will fight for it and for every bit of joy I can experience along the way until El Shaddai determines which heartbeat is my last."
~ "The Life Giver" by Connilyn Cossette

"The Life Giver: Shiphrah's Story" by Connilyn Cossette is an absolutely beautiful novel. This book took me on a delightful adventure of pain, joy, turmoil, peace, fear, faith, death and life.

From the very first page, you are enveloped by one of the most epic tales within God's Word. A story of two women who placed their lives, and those of their loved ones, on the line because they refused to disobey God.

"The Life Giver" was an amazing book to read and I highly recommend it!

[Brittnee Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have said this so many times before, but Connilyn Cossette is my favorite. Her novel, “Counted With the Stars” is the story that the Lord has used in such a mighty way in my heart and life. And when I saw that this story took place before that one, but brought to life even more my favorite book of Exodus, I knew I had to read it!

Telling the story of Shiphrah, one of the two midwives mentioned in Exodus as standing against the edict of Pharaoh to kill all the male Hebrew infants, and in doing so is said to have been blessed with families of their own. This story brings to life the struggles and weight of bandage the Hebrews were subjected to for over 400 years, but also the faith they carried amidst such hardship. The promise that they clung to that one day they would be brought out of the land of Egypt and into the Promised Land by El Shaddai, the God of the Mountain. The same God who introduced Himself in a burning bush to Moses as YHWH, The Great I AM!

This book does include mentions of miscarriage and infant loss, and grief of losing loved ones. Though these are a part of the story, I want to also be clear that hope reigns supreme in this story. Though it deals with loss that many have walked through, the Truth of who our God is- how he sees us, cares for us, is so kind and gentle, and how he is faithful in all circumstances, is evident on every page. His goodness is overwhelming!

If you love a good story, then the simple review would be that you need to read this one... But the truth is, this book is more than a well-written story. It brings an awareness of who our God is, and I have no doubt will cause your own heart to burn within you- to either seek him all the more, or to call on His name for the very first time. My friends, He is faithful!

[patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shiphrah was the daughter and granddaughter of midwives, she had helped in births in her native land of Midian. Sadly she was taken as a captured slave to Egypt. Her people worshipped El-Shaddai the God of the Mountain. Her first master lost his money and his slaves were sold off. Shiphrah was sold to a noble who wanted her to care for his pregnant and ailing wife. She does and after she saves the life of his wife and son he frees her. She had made friends with Gilah a shopkeeper in the marketplace, a Hebrew woman married to an Egyptian. Gilah tells her of El-Shaddai. Gilah also brings her to Marva a Hebrew midwife. Marva takes Shiphrah on as an apprentice, she knows Shiphrah and her very young apprentice Puah will make a great team. Shiphrah Marries Marva's son Avi and God grants them a family. Avi is of course a slave. When pharaoh declares all male Hebrew infants are to be put to death Shiphrah knows she cannot do this thing. Shiphrah delivers Moses. She learns to trust El-Shaddai and accepts Him as her only God. The Life Giver: Shiphrah's Story is another book in the ordinary women of the Bible series. This one is by Connilyn Cossette.

[Reading in the Heartland (Michaela) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book so much. Easily a top read for my month and year. This author is a favorite of mine, but I was a little bit more wary of this book since it does not center on a romance, like her others do. However, I needn’t have worried as this book gripped me and tore me apart, it brought me to tears, and it pieced me back together while remaining rooted in the Word of God. It drives to go read the Bible yourself and reminds you of His promises and the assurance that we need not fear any human hand or authority on earth because God is THE power and holds all the cards. If He is with us, who can stand against us? I am eagerly anticipating the rest of my reads from her this year as I’m starting with this book and will continue on all of her series. I cannot wait to start the next book. This was such a breath of fresh air. See my trigger warnings below for what kinds of content is included. The romance is just kisses (though there is fade-to-black activity insinuated), intimacy level one.

TW: Stillbirth, Kidnapping, Slave Trade, Slavery and Mistreatment, Pagan Rituals, Loss of Family Members, Miscarriage, Off page Child SA, Child Pregnancy, Traumatic Birthing

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She will stand against the flow of the mighty river and will not be moved.” The prophetic words seemed ironic each time Shiphrah’s heart threatened to be drowned by fear. She never dreamed that traders would seize her and carry her away from Midian to Egypt, the land of the huge Nile River and its god-king, pharaoh. Though abject terror rose up to defeat her, this young woman refused to be squelched.

In fact, Shiphrah renewed her determination to cultivate her God-given talent as a midwife, and surprises, dangers, and even looming death forced her to repeatedly take her stand against the powers of Egypt.

This beautiful tale is based on the real midwife who saved baby boys during Moses’ time of birth. Shiphrah’s compassion, skill and courage will inspire readers to also rise up against whatever river is seeking to overwhelm them and take hold of their faith in El Shadai—God who provides.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first introduced to Shiphrah and Puah in Jochebed's story. This book is about her life. She was a young girl when she was taken away from her family and sold into slavery. Her first mistress was a young girl she was companion for. When that master loses everything she is than bought by an Egyptian to look after his wife who is very ill and pregnant. Although her life started out hard it ended well. She remembered the little bit about being a midwife that her Mother and Grandmother taught her and what she had witnessed when she accompanied them to births. When she earns her freedom she becomes an assistant to a midwife along with Puah. When the Pharaoh is afraid the Hebrews are growing to strong in number he orders the midwives to kill all the boy babies that are born or risk imprisonment or death themselves. Can Shiphrah and Puah follow his orders?

[Ella J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 3.5 stars

It has been a few years since I've read a Connilyn Cossette book. I saw that "The Life Giver" was available on Kindle Unlimited and decided it was time to change that.

I enjoyed this book. I really liked the main character, Shiphrah. She is a brave, faithful woman. I liked that we got to know her over the course of about 15 years.
I will say, I didn't feel much of a connection to the other characters. They all felt pretty secondary and one dimensional.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the faith content. Shiphrah's story shows the faithfulness and goodness of God, even though her life wasn't easy. I love that she stood firm in her faith, even in seemingly impossible situations.

I do wish this book was a bit longer and that we had more time to get to know the other characters better, but I did enjoy my time reading "The Life Giver".

[Crystal Heffington · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I can usually devour this authors books in less than a week. I have loved every one of her novels. With that said, I had a very hard time getting into this book and finishing it. It wasn’t until the last 1/4 of the book before I felt like it was “getting good.” I was disappointed in Shiphrah’s love story and felt like it was very rushed. I also felt the story of the deliverer (aka Moses) could have been elaborated on. I understand the need for a backstory, but I was hoping to have more time Into defying Pharoh’s commands, saving babies and how she really got her name written into the Bible. However, I felt all of that was rushed. I was not disappointed when I reached the end of the book, but rather relieved that I finally finished it.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme of this book can be summed up with “Faith over Fear”.
From the Bible, we know that Shiphrah and Puah were strong women who did not obey the pharoah’s command to kill all the Hebrew boys. This book takes a closer look into the life of Shiphrah with a little glimpse of Puah’s life as well. Shiphrah is portrayed as being faithful to God. She entrusts her family to Him and stands up to the pharaoh. I enjoyed taking a look into the Hebrew captivity in Egypt.
And we could always use more reminding that God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways if we have faith in Him.

Also if you want more of this story definitely read Connilyn Cossette’s Out of Egypt series!!

[Mia A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must Read

Connilyn will forever have my heart with her writing and ability to draw you into Biblical Fiction. The story of Shiphrah and Puah have always caused me to pause whenever I see their names in Exodus. I imagine what courage and strength it took to defy an evil command. And then to see God’s faithfulness in not only blessing them abundantly, but naming them is nothing short of a miracle. This story is such a beautiful take on these amazing women. Your faith will be encouraged as you get into the mind and heart of Shiphrah and see El Shaddai show up and lead as only He can.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Triggerwarning: If you have read the Old Testament (or seen movies about Moses) then you know that there's a lot of infant death. Very hard if you've experienced or struggle with birthing deaths or infant death.
I had to take it slowly, and I have read the story many times. Connilyn paints the picture of such a painful historical event, in a very beautiful way.
I love how she knits together the story with all the characters, and brings them up in other books!

There's definitely a shadow of gloom and sadness, as will be around a story where a pharaoh orders all newborn males to be killed. Even so, it brings a deeper connection and joy through the victories.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Connilynn Cossette took this story and brings it into focus the story of a midwife in Egypt.
I loved how the character of this woman was formed through all her trials and struggles in life.
As greedy as I am I wished that the romance would have been in a bit more of the book, but it did fit into the story and the timeline well.
I loved the message of how important it is to stand for what is right regardless of the consequences. I was amazed at the bravery of these women and encouraged by the character's acting out thier faith.

[Dorothy Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connilyn Cossette books are always enlightening

Such an enjoyable book making the characters in the bible come to life. As the series The Chosen shows the humanity of the disciples so Connilyn endows the characters and events she writes about with such colour and depth. As I once more read the book of Exodus after reading her series on it I read it with fresh eyes thinking of all that could have been going on in the background. Such insight and such a love for ABBA comes through every page. Thank you Connilyn

[Kathy D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faithful Obedience Brings God Glory!

This is the Biblical fiction story of the midwife who helped bring Moses into the world and keep him safe after Pharoah's decree that Hebrew infant boys be killed. Written by Connilyn Cossette, the tale is vividly told in a way that makes the characters nearly step out of the pages. The depth of research involved in shaping the setting and storyline is readily apparent. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed the many other books I've read by this talented author. I wish I could award it more than five stars!

[Maxine Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of the series "Ordinary Women of the Bible" written by a number of authors. "The Life Giver: Shiphrah's Story" was written by Connilyn Cossette - one of my favourite authors. I love how she brings to life characters from the Bible and weaves them into a wonderful and believable story. Shiphrah and Puah were two such characters (Exod 1:17-19) who were very brave in saving Hebrew baby boys whom Pharaoh decreed must not be allowed to live. Connilyn Cossette obviously does a lot of research in writing books such as this and creating a wonderful rea.

[Lisa Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book ten stars I would. The way Connilyn wrote Shiphrah’s story caused me to be captured from the very first line to the last. The faith of Shiphrah each time she faced danger was convicting and beautiful all at once. I’ve always been enthralled with the midwives story and how scary it would be for them, so having their story brought to life was so precious for me. As always, connilyn put her heart into this book and created a masterpiece for her readers.

[A. Ranger · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐I honestly was hesitant about reading this due to not wanting to deviate too far away from biblical truth but I found it to be very entertaining and gave so much depth to Shiphrah. Even though a lot of its contents was created for entertainment it matches her to actually tell the story in the Bible in such a cool and creative way.

[Mary Ellen Barringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connilyn Cossette is one of my favorite Biblical fiction authors. This book tells the story of the midwives who were delivering Hebrew babies in Egypt when the decree came to kill all boy babies.

She weaves a believable back story for Shipharah's life. Her writing takes us into the time when Hebrews had been living in bondage for 400 years.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved This Fictional Back Story

I love this author. This fictional backstory of Shiphrah did not disappoint me in any way. I loved the horrifying moments that made me gasp in horror and the sweet love described between her and her husband. Had a hard time putting it down and finished it in two days.
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[Sue Fellows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the insights the author gives this story. I appreciate this series of Ordinary Women of the Bible that Guidepost put together with different authors, several of my favorites, like Connilyn Cossette. Good job!

[Beth Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All things are possible…..

Great historical fiction! This story is a good reminder that God is Faithful and His Word is True. I really enjoyed all of the poignant pondering’s of the main character and how her faith deepens and develops over time.

[Carol Pummell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

I love the Old Testament brought to life by authors like Connilyn Cossette! Her characters breathe life in my imagination. I thought this book would be more about Joccabed , I was amazed and happy that it was about Shiphrah. What an amazing woman.

[Jenelle Hovde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Review to come.

[Paula White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good story about one of the midwives in the time of Moses birth

[Mary Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book about Women of the Bible series. I really enjoyed this story. It included part of the story of Moses’ mother.

[Linea Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read. As always with Connilyn Cossette you are drawn into the story and almost smell the smells…

[Mrs. Bridget Wiltshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just brilliant. Loved it. Brings the story alive.