The Shadow Women

The three main women in Moses's life narrate his dramatic story from their perspectives. Miryam, his seven-year-old sister, and Merytamon, his 14-year-old adoptive mother, cover his early years as an Egyptian prince. Nine-year-old Zipporah, his future wife, tells of Moses' time with her father, a priest, and their family. After God reveals himself to Moses, Miryam recounts the liberation of the Jewish people and their escape from Egypt, and Zipporah and Miryam recall the years in the wilderness. The animosity and jealousy Miryam feels for both Merytomon and Zipporah flood the narrative, poisoning their happiness, but Moses takes scant notice, focused as he is on his task of serving God. Hunt's (The Immortal; The Note) sure writing and attention to fascinating details, such as Egyptian make-up customs and the cooking techniques of nomadic desert dwellers, add new dimensions to an overly familiar tale. --From Library Journal