“Miriam’s Song” by Jill Eileen Smith was an impressive book. As the author mentioned in her note at the end, not a lot is historically known about Miriam. Somehow, Ms. Smith managed to take the historical record, combine it with the records of Miriam’s contemporaries, and mix it all in with various other histories of those times and events, and end up with a story that was both fascinating to read and educational. While I was familiar with the basic details of Miriam’s story going in, I found I learned a lot about life in those times, and was provided enough information to really try to imagine what I would have felt and experienced had I been living then. It also left me with plenty to think about regarding the nature of God and his relationship with his chosen people. I’d love to discuss my thoughts with other readers.
The actual story was very interesting to read. Miriam is a great character, and although not much is known about her, the author did a great job in bringing her to life in a realistic way that felt true to both the known facts about her life and the events she lived through. I enjoyed getting to know her, and watching her grow from a brave little five-year-old to a mature woman of faith.
In reading about Miriam in between the major historical events she witnessed, I learned a lot about what daily life was like for the Hebrew people, both during their enslavement in Egypt, and after they gained their freedom and moved toward their new land. Reading this helped me to better understand some of the things that happened, and the mindset of the people that brought those events about.
I highly recommend this book. Read it for the quality storytelling. Read it for the in-depth character study of a lesser-known historical woman. Read it for the thought-provoking insights. Just read it. You’ll be glad you did!
chewietellsall 