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Ordinary Women of the Bible
The Prophet's Songbird: Atarah's Story
WITH A PROPHET FOR A FATHER and a professional mourner for a mother, Atarah has always known the power of words and of song. But her joyful praises are silenced when she is captured in a Syrian raid along with Tavi, a young man who loses his freedom trying to protect her. However, in Damascus, Atarah soon discovers that their new master, Naaman, isn’t the monster she expected—and that her songs glorifying the Most High have a profound effect on his household.
When Naaman shows signs of leprosy, which could spell the end of his career and destroy his family, Atarah tells him of a prophet in Israel who could banish the disease with a word. Though Naaman’s enemies hope for the worst, Atarah trusts he will encounter the power of the Most High. But by faithfully serving a master who serves Israel’s enemy, has she cut herself off from her people forever? Or will the One True God use her to teach a new song of praise to His children?
When Naaman shows signs of leprosy, which could spell the end of his career and destroy his family, Atarah tells him of a prophet in Israel who could banish the disease with a word. Though Naaman’s enemies hope for the worst, Atarah trusts he will encounter the power of the Most High. But by faithfully serving a master who serves Israel’s enemy, has she cut herself off from her people forever? Or will the One True God use her to teach a new song of praise to His children?
259 pages, ebook
Published January 12, 2021
149 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Roseanna M. White
60 books3,833 followersRoseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. She and her family make their home in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
see also Roseanna White
see also Roseanna White
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 6, 2024
I loved how White portrayed this story! It was so sweet and precious, and the characters seemed like exactly the type of people they would have been in history.
August 29, 2024
It’s hard to find a Christian fiction that is historically and culturally accurate and be a page turner.
This one was a page turner. My only constructive criticism would be a kiss before marriage wouldn’t have happened back then BUT I loved the story even with that detail! So good.
This one was a page turner. My only constructive criticism would be a kiss before marriage wouldn’t have happened back then BUT I loved the story even with that detail! So good.
September 14, 2024
A beautiful expansion of the life of a woman spoken of once in the Old Testament, a Henrew maidservant to a Syrian general named Naaman, who had contracted leprosy. She told him about Elisha, and how God could heal him, and suggested he go see Elisha himself. Ben-Hadad knew of his general's ailment and approved his going to seek help, and Naaman, who was wealthy from plunder, took plenty with which to make an offering to the God Who healed him, should healing occur.
The handmaiden, as she is referred to in the Bible, is here given a name and a talent, the talent of singing praises to the Lord. Also given a name and an occupation is the young man who convinces Naaman to do as Elisha said, to wash 7 times in the Jordan. He is from the school of the prophets mentioned in the Bible, and ends up with Naaman while trying to keep his beloved songbird safe.
The story expands with the addition of these 2, but is faithful to the Biblical account in general. The 2 fictional characters serve as guides to what happens to accomplish Naaman's healing and cement his faith in the one true living God.
The story also provides Naaman an enemy that is bitterly against him yet is also, in the story, related to him through his wife, whom the enemy tried to kill. This enemy ends up being the purported leader of the band of Syrians who came after the prophet to take him prisoner and deliver him to Ben-Hadad. Yet this enemy has also heard the songs, and his heart has been affected - but is it enough for him, after his army is routed and misled byban angelic army, to get him to come to the only real, true God?
The handmaiden, as she is referred to in the Bible, is here given a name and a talent, the talent of singing praises to the Lord. Also given a name and an occupation is the young man who convinces Naaman to do as Elisha said, to wash 7 times in the Jordan. He is from the school of the prophets mentioned in the Bible, and ends up with Naaman while trying to keep his beloved songbird safe.
The story expands with the addition of these 2, but is faithful to the Biblical account in general. The 2 fictional characters serve as guides to what happens to accomplish Naaman's healing and cement his faith in the one true living God.
The story also provides Naaman an enemy that is bitterly against him yet is also, in the story, related to him through his wife, whom the enemy tried to kill. This enemy ends up being the purported leader of the band of Syrians who came after the prophet to take him prisoner and deliver him to Ben-Hadad. Yet this enemy has also heard the songs, and his heart has been affected - but is it enough for him, after his army is routed and misled byban angelic army, to get him to come to the only real, true God?
December 22, 2024
Of all the books in the Ordinary Women series, The Prophet's Songbird has the honor of being in my top five. It "sings" beautifully, from cover to cover. I admit some bias, first because Roseanna M. White has written some wonderful books lately and second, because Atarah is my name (Stephanie) in Hebrew. So right away, I felt a particularly special kinship with this book and its heroine. But brownie points aside, The Prophet's Songbird is still terrific.
First off, kudos to Roseanna for choosing a particularly "ordinary" protagonist. Naaman's servant girl is an important figure in the Bible, yet she's also barely mentioned. Thus, I was eager to learn how Roseanna would portray her. Neither Roseanna nor Atarah disappointed. In fact, I appreciated how Atarah, not her hero and best friend Tavi, was the impatient one who had to learn a deeper trust in Yahweh in this story. That role often goes to the hero or the males in this type of novella. Furthermore, I loved Atarah's dedication to sharing the stories of Yahweh, her intelligence, her wit, and her eventual love of Raimah and Naaman's family. I found we did have a lot in common beyond our names, and I loved spending a book with her.
That said, the other characters are beautifully written and great to spend a book with, too. Most of them, like Tavi and Raimah, are of course fictional. However and as always, Roseanna did her homework on ancient Israel and made these people true to Scripture. They are Gentiles, but their faith journey reads true to what seeking Yahweh might've looked like in that era. Plus, everyone's different personalities mean the journey toward Yahweh is never preachy or boring. (This feels like a good time to say, I am beyond impressed with how well the whole team of authors did writing this series and staying faithful to both Scripture and their settings)! :)
Additionally, I love the idea of Tavi being a prophet-in-training here and studying under such figures as, I believe it was Jeremiah? (Forgive me; this review, like all the reviews I'm doing here, is a redo from another site where my account was destroyed). Anyway, that lends gravitas to his character and depth to the story's intellectual and spiritual threads (my inner brainy Christian rejoiced)! It also provides a good contrast between Tavi and Atarah--kind of the "red oni, blue oni" trope--without falling into an "opposites attract" cliche.
Finally, as much as I brag on the spiritual threads of this series, I loved the plot itself. Naaman's journey to Israel and his meeting with the prophet, as inspired by Atarah and her faith, is of course a huge deal and a well-written climax. But beyond that, Roseanna provides some wonderful secondary plot threads. For instance, as mentioned, I loved Atarah's interactions with Naaman's children. They read almost like an ancient Hebrew version of The Sound of Music, which I have been a fan of for decades. I loved Naaman and Raimah's protectiveness toward Atarah, and how that helped melt her prejudices.
And even though they were personally difficult and raw to read, I was uplifted by Atarah's confrontations with a particularly Pharisaical prophet. I remember saying out loud, "Oh, I *know.* It hurts, doesn't it," because I've been treated much the same way. Yet, my heart leapt all the higher because of the encouragement Atarah received later, from Tavi, Naaman, and so many others. Seeing her faith rewarded and her heart healed pushed this book directly into "favorites" territory for me, as did her journey itself. Read it; I'm willing to guess you'll find a new favorite, too.
First off, kudos to Roseanna for choosing a particularly "ordinary" protagonist. Naaman's servant girl is an important figure in the Bible, yet she's also barely mentioned. Thus, I was eager to learn how Roseanna would portray her. Neither Roseanna nor Atarah disappointed. In fact, I appreciated how Atarah, not her hero and best friend Tavi, was the impatient one who had to learn a deeper trust in Yahweh in this story. That role often goes to the hero or the males in this type of novella. Furthermore, I loved Atarah's dedication to sharing the stories of Yahweh, her intelligence, her wit, and her eventual love of Raimah and Naaman's family. I found we did have a lot in common beyond our names, and I loved spending a book with her.
That said, the other characters are beautifully written and great to spend a book with, too. Most of them, like Tavi and Raimah, are of course fictional. However and as always, Roseanna did her homework on ancient Israel and made these people true to Scripture. They are Gentiles, but their faith journey reads true to what seeking Yahweh might've looked like in that era. Plus, everyone's different personalities mean the journey toward Yahweh is never preachy or boring. (This feels like a good time to say, I am beyond impressed with how well the whole team of authors did writing this series and staying faithful to both Scripture and their settings)! :)
Additionally, I love the idea of Tavi being a prophet-in-training here and studying under such figures as, I believe it was Jeremiah? (Forgive me; this review, like all the reviews I'm doing here, is a redo from another site where my account was destroyed). Anyway, that lends gravitas to his character and depth to the story's intellectual and spiritual threads (my inner brainy Christian rejoiced)! It also provides a good contrast between Tavi and Atarah--kind of the "red oni, blue oni" trope--without falling into an "opposites attract" cliche.
Finally, as much as I brag on the spiritual threads of this series, I loved the plot itself. Naaman's journey to Israel and his meeting with the prophet, as inspired by Atarah and her faith, is of course a huge deal and a well-written climax. But beyond that, Roseanna provides some wonderful secondary plot threads. For instance, as mentioned, I loved Atarah's interactions with Naaman's children. They read almost like an ancient Hebrew version of The Sound of Music, which I have been a fan of for decades. I loved Naaman and Raimah's protectiveness toward Atarah, and how that helped melt her prejudices.
And even though they were personally difficult and raw to read, I was uplifted by Atarah's confrontations with a particularly Pharisaical prophet. I remember saying out loud, "Oh, I *know.* It hurts, doesn't it," because I've been treated much the same way. Yet, my heart leapt all the higher because of the encouragement Atarah received later, from Tavi, Naaman, and so many others. Seeing her faith rewarded and her heart healed pushed this book directly into "favorites" territory for me, as did her journey itself. Read it; I'm willing to guess you'll find a new favorite, too.
March 30, 2021
Another outstanding story from The Ordinary Women of the Bible. I hadn't read the book of Kings in the Bible so was not familiar with this story, but as I got into the book I looked it up. It is only one Chapter in Kings. It states Naaman was an honorable man and respected by his King.
He and his soldiers captured a young girl and the author sends a young boy with her. Naaman makes the girl a maid to his wife and the young man he puts with his lead soldier to learn how to fight. Of course the girl is wondering how God could let this happen to them, but the boy never wavers in his faith that the Lord has a plan for them. Even though Naaman and the Syrians worship false gods, Atarah sings the Psalms to his son and wife, and there are other Hebrews in the house who join in. And than it happens that Naaman gets leprosy. Atarah convinces him to go see the profit Elisha for healing.
It amazes me how she took 2 Kings 5 and turned it into this wonderful story. In the end she has Naaman release his slaves and send them home to their families.
He and his soldiers captured a young girl and the author sends a young boy with her. Naaman makes the girl a maid to his wife and the young man he puts with his lead soldier to learn how to fight. Of course the girl is wondering how God could let this happen to them, but the boy never wavers in his faith that the Lord has a plan for them. Even though Naaman and the Syrians worship false gods, Atarah sings the Psalms to his son and wife, and there are other Hebrews in the house who join in. And than it happens that Naaman gets leprosy. Atarah convinces him to go see the profit Elisha for healing.
It amazes me how she took 2 Kings 5 and turned it into this wonderful story. In the end she has Naaman release his slaves and send them home to their families.
April 23, 2023
Atarah sings the psalms and her voice is beautiful. She is of an age to be engaged. She lives with her family at a school for young men. Just before Elisha the prophet is expected the Syrians raid and she and Tavi are carried off as slaves. To their great fortune Tavi and Atarah are claimed by Naaman, a general in King Ben Hadad's army and loved by the king. Naaman is a kind and generous master as is his wife. At first Atarah does not wish to sing for the Syrians but she comes to respect and love the Naaman family. She is the woman who tells Naaman's wife their is a prophet in Israel that can cure Naaman's leprosy. Rosanna M. White wrote The Prophet's Songbird as another fleshed out story of a nameless woman of the Bible, Atarah never loses faith in God, nor does she stop praying. In this story she is the reason Naaman and his family turn to God and cast out all symbols of false Gods. Atarah realizes her mission is to continue to follow the one true God and sing of Him always. God rewards her. I read this slowly to make it last.
March 29, 2025
High Praise for a Lowly Slaves Devotion
Up front: no sex or swears and only nondescript violence so this book can be read by anyone. If you like biblical fiction you'll love White's telling of Naaman being healed from leprosy. Of course she images many things about this endearing Bible account but the biblical facts are faithfully told and the author's notes explain her thinking and reasons for any artistic liberties used to combine various elements of history found in the boom of 2 Kings.
I got catch up into the drama of being taken as a slave and living a life in a foreign land. The characters were likeable and fleshed out the narrative well. The sorrow of living apart from family and wondering if they survived an attack made it hard to sing but Atarah must sing about her great One True God, for He alone can bring her peace. There is drama, love, hope and HEA so read and enjoy!
Up front: no sex or swears and only nondescript violence so this book can be read by anyone. If you like biblical fiction you'll love White's telling of Naaman being healed from leprosy. Of course she images many things about this endearing Bible account but the biblical facts are faithfully told and the author's notes explain her thinking and reasons for any artistic liberties used to combine various elements of history found in the boom of 2 Kings.
I got catch up into the drama of being taken as a slave and living a life in a foreign land. The characters were likeable and fleshed out the narrative well. The sorrow of living apart from family and wondering if they survived an attack made it hard to sing but Atarah must sing about her great One True God, for He alone can bring her peace. There is drama, love, hope and HEA so read and enjoy!
September 12, 2021
This book is part of the Guidepost Ordinary Women of the Bible Series. This series stands out to me because they have taken lesser known women and asked a variety of Christian Fiction authors to contribute. I chose this one because I have read other Christian Fiction books by Roseanna White. This is a story about Ararah, the handmaiden of Naaman. She is only mentioned once in the Bible so Roseanna took the challenge to create a book around her. She draws on the what the character of Naaman and Elisa might have been. She weaves an interesting story about these and other characters. The story was a joy to read - and the end is very exciting as Rosanna puts in a slight twist about the Angel armies surrounding the Syrian army - very creative!
October 17, 2025
I really liked the linking of these biblical stories into one
The characters, though fictional, were easily pictured as described in this biblical fiction. I loved the portrait painted on the bad guy as a really good man. It allowed me to see why a captured slave would want healing for her enemy captor. It actually made it make sense in a realistic way. The additional fictional characters added depth to the story and life to God's Word.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. While parts of it seemed far fetched and corny, it was still pleasant to imagine it happening as described.
The characters, though fictional, were easily pictured as described in this biblical fiction. I loved the portrait painted on the bad guy as a really good man. It allowed me to see why a captured slave would want healing for her enemy captor. It actually made it make sense in a realistic way. The additional fictional characters added depth to the story and life to God's Word.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. While parts of it seemed far fetched and corny, it was still pleasant to imagine it happening as described.
September 2, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. White does a wonderful job of fleshing out Naaman's story with details of life in Israel at the time it takes place. The characters are well-drawn, and I loved the weaving in of the songs of the Psalms through the servant girl who introduces Naaman to the one true God.
June 23, 2024
I loved reading this take of Naamans story and that of his servant girl.
I loved reading this take of Naamans story and that of his servant girl. From the first page to the last, I enjoyed watching the faith of Naamans family grow, and Tavi and Atarahs story/love flourish. This story brought to life the Bible story.
I loved reading this take of Naamans story and that of his servant girl. From the first page to the last, I enjoyed watching the faith of Naamans family grow, and Tavi and Atarahs story/love flourish. This story brought to life the Bible story.
September 29, 2022
I've always loved Namaan's story in the Bible. This was a fun imagining of the two servants who played a role in his healing, and includes some additional biblical history of that time period which I love!
May 16, 2021
I enjoyed this book. I don’t remember this story from the Bible, but I really loved this story.
January 2, 2022
Another wonderful story in this series—touching characters, an exciting story woven with much gentle teaching about our faithful God.
January 10, 2025
I must say it was the first time I’ve read one of her books and it was amazing, a page turner that kept you interested from start to finish, if you’ve never read bible fiction your missing so much that you can glean from his word, yes it’s fiction but with sooo much truth in it, well done!!!
August 20, 2024
I loved this book from start to finish. So much of this story connected with my spirit. I rarely reread fiction but this one would make that list.
I read this 3 years ago. I said I might reread it (see above). I did and I loved it once again.
I read this 3 years ago. I said I might reread it (see above). I did and I loved it once again.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews