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The Promised Land Diaries #5
Songbird Of The Nile: The Diary Of Miriam's Best Friend, Egypt, 1527-1526 B.C.
Living in Egypt in 1526 B.C., twelve-year-old Laila keeps a diary that describes the lives of her Jewish family and neighbors, including that of her best friend Miriam's baby brother, who comes to be raised by an Egyptian princess and is named Moses.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
173 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 2, 2009
This is the fifth book in The Promised Land Diaries series. This series is set in Biblical times and uses a diary format to tell the stories of fictional young girls who encounter notable women of the Bible.
This book tells the story of Laila, a twelve-year-old Jewish girl living in Egypt in the years 1527 and 1526 BC. The Jewish people once had a good life in Egypt, but the current Pharaoh is a cruel man. He forces the Jewish men to labor for him, building fortress cities. Laila and her best friend Miriam are worried about their people. When Pharaoh issues a decree stating that all Jewish baby boys must be killed at birth, the girls are horrified but determined to find a way to help. Soon after, however, Miriam's mother learns she is pregnant. Miriam's father believes the child will be a baby boy who has been chosen by God to someday free their people from slavery in Egypt. But when the baby is born, will they be able to protect him?
This book is my favorite of the Promised Land Diaries I have read so far. Laila is an appealing character and her diary narration is fascinating. Through it, I learned a lot about life for the Jewish people in ancient Egypt, as well as the customs followed by the Egyptians. This was a very good retelling of the story of Miriam and her baby brother, who later became Moses, through the eyes of an ordinary young girl, and it also tells a lot about life in the ancient world. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy retellings of Bible stories or who like historical fiction set in this era.
This book tells the story of Laila, a twelve-year-old Jewish girl living in Egypt in the years 1527 and 1526 BC. The Jewish people once had a good life in Egypt, but the current Pharaoh is a cruel man. He forces the Jewish men to labor for him, building fortress cities. Laila and her best friend Miriam are worried about their people. When Pharaoh issues a decree stating that all Jewish baby boys must be killed at birth, the girls are horrified but determined to find a way to help. Soon after, however, Miriam's mother learns she is pregnant. Miriam's father believes the child will be a baby boy who has been chosen by God to someday free their people from slavery in Egypt. But when the baby is born, will they be able to protect him?
This book is my favorite of the Promised Land Diaries I have read so far. Laila is an appealing character and her diary narration is fascinating. Through it, I learned a lot about life for the Jewish people in ancient Egypt, as well as the customs followed by the Egyptians. This was a very good retelling of the story of Miriam and her baby brother, who later became Moses, through the eyes of an ordinary young girl, and it also tells a lot about life in the ancient world. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy retellings of Bible stories or who like historical fiction set in this era.
September 4, 2009
Ages 9-12. Part of the Promised Land Diaries series. Tells the fictional story of Laila who is the best friend of Miriam, the sister of Moses. A quick and engaging read. Likable main character. Lots of interesting historical information about life in ancient Egypt.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews