THE PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER by MESU ANDREWS is the beautifully written story of the Egyptian princess who adopted Moses, told against the backdrop of life on the banks of the Nile in ancient Egypt. Although it is a work of fiction, there is no loss of biblical truth and the historical facts of the Bible account are the backbone of the novel.The author has obviously done a great deal of research into life in Egypt at that time, both the life of the royal court and that of the Hebrew slaves. Whilst the slaves were in bondage to their cruel Egyptian task masters, those of them who served the Hebrew God had a freedom that the Egyptians didn't have, the latter being in bondage to sorcery, the wicked priests and the cruel and ineffective gods they served. The Egyptian religion was one of fear, death and destruction coupled with the futility of trying to please their gods.
Mery, who later became Anippe and then, on her marriage to Sebak, Amira of Avaris, was terrified of childbirth. She was forced to watch her mother give birth when both her mother and baby brother died, which terrified her and led to her deception in pretending that Moses was her child, thus providing her husband with an heir without the risk of dying like her mother did.
It is a story of slavery and freedom, love and hate, opulence and abject poverty, fear and trust, truth and deception, rejection and acceptance and of course the importance of repentance and forgiveness. We also see the importance of facing one's fears.
There are the warring Ramessids of the Delta as opposed to the slaves who try to keep out of trouble. We see the unusual friendship between the mighty Sebak and Mered, the humble linen maker, and Mered's friendship with Amira, who was horrified at the treatment that was meted out to the Hebrew slaves, especially when the order was given to kill the Hebrew baby boys. Mered has faith in El-Shaddai's promises and speaks of this faith to Sebak and Amira, praying for them as well as for his own family and the Hebrew people.
We see Amira's mother's heart in her love for Moses, who she named Mehy, and Miriam, and later on for the Hebrew children she took care of, and for her rebellious sister for whom she felt responsible, although Mered pointed out to her that it wasn't her fault that Ankhe had always been jealous of her. We see how important it is for a person to be loved and how rejection can lead to rebellious behaviour.
The characters are sensitively portrayed and we can relate to their struggles. This novel has a wealth of scriptural truth woven throughout which makes it a very worth while read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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