Pharaoh's Daughter by: Julius Lester

I saved my brother from the soldiers,
but the princess says he is hers now.
Abba and Ima will never trust me again.

Almah never imagined when her mother ordered her to go and take a watch for soldiers that she would meet the Pharaoh's daughter. She never would have believed that the Pharaoh's daughter would take in her little brother, Moses.

And she most certainly never thought that she and her mother would be asked to come and stay in Pharaoh's palace for a period of time.

As much as Almah's family does not wish to stay in the palace, they decide to accept anyway, because the Pharaoh's daughter has taken their son, and they want to be near him as long as possible.

Almah is there through the stress of Pharaoh's beloved wife passing on, and is his chief comfort as she has many similarities with his deceased spouse.

But when Almah is given the choice to either stay on in the palace or return to her home, there is no way for this situation to work out in a positive way. If she stays in the palace, where she finally feels alive, she will be dead to her family. And if she goes home, she will lose her quality of life and the love of the Pharaoh and his family.

The Pharaoh has feelings towards Almah, something most girls can only dream of, but will she except them?

Moses lives in the palace, raised by the Pharaoh's daughter. It was this woman, his adopted mother, that saved his life.

He is a happy boy, for his sister Almah is by his side at all times, ready to do anything for him, and he lives a life of luxury.


But the people of the palace do not trust him. The reason is clear: they could change his title, his family, and his beliefs, but they could not change who he really was. They are Khemetian. He is Habiru.

Because of this, Moses does not feel completely at ease. His identity is changed against his wishes, and he longs to uncover his true self. When he does, this time the answer to his problems is not something Almah can help him with. He must do it alone.

My thoughts:
This is the story of Moses, as you may have already guessed. But half is told from Moses' point of view, half from Almah's.
You have probably already read, or at least heard, the story of Moses. But I still highly reccomend this book! It puts the story into an entirely new light.

I have a feeling that if we're trying to be historically correct, Pharaoh did not fall in love with Moses' sister, but it does definitely add some colour.

I have certainly read worse books, but I have also read better. This is a thought-provoking read and I can almost guarantee you won't be sorry you read it. (I can't say the same to you boys out there, though. :)

Objectional Content:

Language: None that I remember.

Romance/Sexual Conent: Someone is in love with Pharaoh's daughter.

The Pharaoh loves Almah and wishes to marry her.

With Almah's job as priestess, she must dance naked. The description is not too vivid, but enough....

Violence: Moses kills someone. He is asked to whip someone, but he whips the man who asked him to instead.
Drugs/Alcohol: None that I remember.