Customer Reviews

The Shadow Women

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When the name Moses is said, the image most likely that comes to mind is Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea or thundering down Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments in hand. Yet, there is much more to the character, and Ms. Hunt uses the women of his life to show modern readers that.

His sister Miryam sees Moses' (Moshe) life begin. Though under orders from their Egyptian overlords to kill all newborn males, her mother tries to hide her child, until it is absalutely neccessary to place him an in ark like Noah's, and put him in the Nile. There he is found by Pharoh's daughter - wife, Merytam, the child of Ramses most loved wife, Neferrtitti, and Pharoh's most recent wife. She is barren, and seeks an answer from her gods to hide the condition that would exile her to the harems for the rest of her life. Finding the baby solves her problem, though keeping him alive in the face of coniving, jealous court advisors will not be easy. Perhaps it is only her desperate prayer to the unknown God of the Hebrews that saves her "son's" life.

Moses grows to adulthood, never dreaming that he is one of the "mud people" that his people have enslaved. Learning the truth triggers an incident that sets off his rage and reveals his secret. Exiled and outcast, Moses flees to the lands far from Egypt, and makes a new life as a shepherd, until he is sent back to Egypt by God, with the mission of freeing his people.

Moses is a man without a people, though. He is rejected by Egyptian and Hebrew alike, but he is determined in his quest, and through God's power, he is able to bring his people into the wilderness. As they travel towards the Promised Land, the way is hard, and the people rebellious. On the way, he suffers great loss and many trials. Through them all, his wife and sister watch and support him, despite their resentments and misgivings.

**** If you have ever thought a historical novel would be boring, then read this one and change your mind. It is fascinating and true to the Biblical account, though more detailed and sheds light on things that may mystify readers of the Bible. Like the MISTS OF AVALON, the story is told by varied perspectives, but in this case, it is a true story, and one that will increase your faith.

Most of us know the story of Moses through movies like The Ten Commandments and Prince of Egypt. The Shadow Women gives you a new way to see the story: through the eyes of the women who loved him. From the Egyptian princess who adopted him, to the Canaanite woman he married, and his sister, Miryam, you'll see the story in a whole new way.

Angela Elwell Hunt expertly weaves together Biblical fact and thorough research into a compelling tapestry. Nuggets of information mined through her research illuminate puzzling parts of the Biblical account and give the story freshness.

You won't be disappointed whether you approach The Shadow Women as inspiration or entertainment. You'll find richly detailed settings, intriguing characters, and storytelling at its best. The Shadow Women is a book you can come back to again and again, gleaning fresh insight and inspiration each time.

Hebrew slave baby, prince of Egypt, wandering shepherd, Israelite leader, friend of God-Moses is certainly one of the most complex, intriguing characters in the Judeo-Christian faith. In this imaginative epic, his story is told by three extraordinary women who inhabited the shadows of his life. There are Merytamon, the Egyptian princess who rescues Moses from the bulrushes and her father's dreadful edict and perpetuates a lie that will haunt her life; Miryam, who's never quite able to relinquish her big-sister role; and Zipporah, Moses' Midianite wife, who struggles to understand the God Who has first claim on her husband's life. Together they give us a unique portrait of Moses as son, brother, husband, and man.
Hunt's meticulous research and superb storytelling have created a masterpiece. This poignant story breathes life into the historical figure of Moses. It's also a vivid portrayal of a holy God Who is always just, but seldom safe.
-Kristine Wilson

Forget about Moses. His story has been told and retold. But the story of the enslavement and salvation of the Israelites from Egypt has never been told like this.

"Mists of Avalon" is brought to mind by this book. We see the familiar tale told this time through the eyes of the women who lived this story. The story is told by the Princess of Egypt whose barrenness terrified her until she found salvation in a Hebrew child, by Miriam whose enforced role as the protector of her family leads her to bitter self revelation and by Zipphorah whose love of a strange refugee from Egypt place this desert girl center stage in a drama written by a God she does not understand.

Marion Zimmer Bradley couldn't have done this saga better. Each woman's voice is distinctive and each character fully fleshed and developed. If you miss this book, you will miss a real gem.

This is a book based on the views of the key women in Moses' life. It is written very much as how a diary would be written, with each woman writing her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives on various circumstances.

The 1st part of the book is focused on Moses' Egyptian mother, Merytamon. While another reviewer stated that this book was slow I found that only to be true during Merytamon's chapters. However, the author filled this portion of the book with many details of the Egyptians' medical procedures, customs, gods, and culture. It was very eye opening and educational. I had no idea that Pharaohs typically married their sisters and daughters in order to preserve the throne. They were very superstitious people, very pre-occupied with death. The author did extensive research on the ancient Egyptians and her resources are listed in the back of the book.

Zipporah, Moses' wife, wrote her perspective of what living was like out in the dessert in a pagan culture. She seemed to be a very faithful woman towards her roles in life. Her meeting Moses, spending time with him, and ultimately marrying him was wonderful to read.

Miryam, Moses' sister, was most interesting. She is portrayed as a strong-willed, prideful, and a somewhat controlling older sister. Her life was filled with resentment and bitterness towards her lot in life. She was self-righteousness and judgmental toward the women in the camp who were not Hebrews (i.e. Zipporah). It was very interesting how God broke her pride and led her toward humility, healing and reconciliation.

Although this is a fictional book, the author did use scripture as her base. She has a Q&A section in the back addressing questions.

This isn't your typical historical fiction romance from Angela Hunt, but it is worth reading, especially since it helps to capture what it would have been like living in the times of Moses.

I am always eager to read a biblical story from a different point of view; to see the events unfold through the eyes of a participant that has never before been given a voice in the matter. In SHADOW WOMEN, you get to view the life of Moses through not one; not two; but three different witnesses: His Egyptian foster mother, Merytamon; his Midianite wife, Zapporah; and finally, his older sister, Miryam.

Merytomon is the daughter and newest wife of Pharaoh. She is barren, believing that one of the multitudinous gods of Egypt has stolen her womb out of jealousy. She knows that unless she produces a son for Pharaoh, she will be demoted from her most-favored-wife position and banished to his harem to live out her life amidst the myriad of wives who have lost the attention of their husband. After learning of the PharaohÕs decree that all Hebrew baby boys are to be sacrificed to the river god, she conspires to take one of these babies and present it to her husband as a gift from the god of the Nile.

In addition to the retelling of Moses rescue from the Nile and his Egyptian rearing, we are made privy to the unique life of one so close to the throne. MerytomonÕs love for Moses is touching and tragic as she suffers under the burden of her deception, knowing that the discovery of Moses true origin would very likely result in not only her death but the death of her beloved adopted son.

After Moses secret is revealed and he flees into the wilderness, we meet Zapporah, his nomadic wife. Here the story takes on new depth as we learn more about the character and life of this remarkable woman.

Finally, we are reintroduced to Miryam, Moses headstrong sister. We see her in a totally new light as the author puts flesh to the bare bones of information we are given in scripture.

Even though the author takes great literary liberty in fleshing out the character and lives of these three women, there is nothing anti-scriptural in her exciting embellishments and therefore, I found them to be most enjoyable and their stories very plausible. I highly recommend you add this to your reading list!

P.S. Be sure to read the quotation before the title page to understand where the author got the title THE SHADOW WOMEN from...very cool!

The Shadow Women is literary genius. Angela Hunt takes historical fact and weaves a probable, yet compelling story of the Biblical characters described in the book of Exodus. I loved reading the book, then going back and finding the names (Zipporah, Hobab, Reuel) in the Biblical account and realizing how cleverly The Shadow Women brought the Biblical account to life.

Only a supremely talented, well-researched author could put together such an enjoyable, intriguing book.

Thank you, Angela Hunt! I'm off to find more of your books!

This is the story of Moses as you've never read it before. This time the tale is told through the eyes of the three women who knew him best - his sister, the Egyptian daughter of a Pharoah who raised him and his wife.

Thoughtful, provocative and highly researched, this epic tale is exciting and imaginative, yet biblically sound. Highly recommended and a must read.

Angela Hunt has a gift for digging into the mindset of "what if" and researching the truth until her story shimmers. You will care for the characters of The Shadow Women and be intrigued by ideas that never before occurred to you in this captivating story. Why did Moses make the choices he did, and why was he able to follow the call of an unseen God? Angela brings this story to life.

I finished Angela Hunt's biblical fiction The Shadow Women which recounts the lives of the women surrounding the life of Moses: Pharaoh's daughter, Miryam, and Zipporah. Hunt's strict adherence to Scripture and attention to detail made me truly understand some characters I had been unable to before. Now as I read through the actual passages, I find myself able to visualize events more clearly and with greater understanding. I'm able to connect with the stories more. The Shadow Women is a great piece of Biblical fiction and shouldn't be passed up