Warner Books, 2002. ISBN 0446530115. Reviewed by Maggie Knorr Posted on 03/31/2003 Fiction: Christian

When I came across a book that dramatized the lives of five women from the Bible, I was hooked. Since then, I have tried to pick up and read every book along the same lines. Angela Elwell Hunt's book, The Shadow Women, is an excellent dramatized account of three women who have only a passing mention in the Bible. Miriam, Zipporah and the pharoah's daughter were three women who had an intimate impact on the life of Moses.

With researched social and historical background information, the author gives these women with depth and a life of their own. Her presentation of Moses, the Biblical accounts of his life, and the tale of his leading the Israelis out of captivity brings this story new reality and new meaning to me.

By following the Pharoah's daughter, I gained better insight of the Egyptian court in which Moses was raised and the challenge he faced in choosing to be identified with his people rather than embracing the prestige and privilege offered him.

By following Miriam, I saw the strength and wisdom of a determined woman devoted to her brother, her people and her God that lasted to the end of her life.

By following Zipporah, I could see many comparisons between her life and the roles of women married to ministers devoted to God's work. Her strength and struggles were a comfort to me, knowing this is something women have experienced and overcome throughout time.

Angela Elwell Hunt offers a new face, depth and reality to a familiar Bible story. It is refreshing to see it through the eyes of the women who were there.

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