Judging Noa

by Michal Strutin

Overview

Noa, at sixteen, sets out with the twelve tribes of the Exodus, dreaming of a life of freedom and the Promised Land that her father says will be theirs. When religious fanatics kill her father, Noa and her four sisters are in danger of being sold into bondage. Noa vows to win women's rights of inheritance to protect her sisters and herself. Pleading her case before ever-higher courts, Noa encounters a malicious judge and the dark side of power.

Gaining strength and complexity as she approaches the highest judge, Noa and her pursuit causes turmoil among the tribes: she is a notorious troublemaker, accused of witchery. And she is heroic. Based on a few biblical verses, the turbulence of Noa's life is set against the sweeping turbulence of the Exodus. In Judging Noa, her quest for justice is a journey that has as much meaning today as it did then.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940166476258
Publisher:	Bedazzled Ink Publishing
Publication date:	04/23/2022
Sold by:	Draft2Digital
Format:	eBook
File size:	538 KB

About the Author

Michal ​Strutin is an award-winning author of eight books on natural and cultural history, including Places of Grace: the Natural Landscapes of the American Midwest, Discovering Natural Israel, and two volumes of Smithsonian Guides to Natural America. Her articles on travel and natural and cultural history have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Tablet, Outside, Rolling Stone, and other newspapers and magazines.

Editorial Reviews

"It will certainly help a prospective reader to be familiar with the plot of the Book of Exodus, at least in vague terms. That said, there's a great deal of interpersonal drama and intrigue that will keep even nonreligious readers engaged in the tale of Noa's sheep-herding family. A good choice for readers who love historical tales of strong-willed women." --Kirkus

"Strutin authored a nonfiction book on the flora and fauna of Israel and succeeds very well in depicting both the Biblical landscape and women's lives in this novel. Noa, her sisters, and even minor figures are well-rounded characters. I enjoyed experiencing the Bible stories about the Exodus from a different, female point of view." --B. J. Sedlock, Historical Novels Review

From the Publisher

2018-12-25

Strutin's (History Hikes of the Smokies, 2003, etc.) novel tells the story of a minor character from the biblical Book of Exodus who fights for justice.

Sixteen-year-old Noa and her four sisters, Milcah, Malah, Hoglah, and Tirzah, are spirited young women making the journey with their elderly parents from Egypt to the prophesied land of their fathers. They're following Moses, but they've been waiting for months for him to come down from the top of a nearby mountain, where he's been receiving new laws from God. In the meantime, groups of men among them start to make laws for themselves, or seek out idols to help them on their journey. After a misunderstanding about some man-made rules, Noa's father, Zelophechad, is stoned to death. Without him, and without any brothers, Noa and her sisters aren't guaranteed a plot of land when the caravan of pilgrims reaches its destination. Noa is determined to achieve justice for her family and begins to plot ways to convince judges of their case. In the meantime, there are alliances to be made through marriage, a business to maintain, and an aging mother to care for. With great attention to detail, Strutin takes these obscure characters—who are mentioned in only three Bible verses—and spins out an in-depth account of the joys and hardships of womanhood in the ancient world. She uses each of the sisters to portray a different stage of womanly growth, from the tomboyish 8-year-old Tirzah to awkward teenager Hoglah to the eldest three, whose thoughts are of money, matrimony, and everything that comes with them. It will certainly help a prospective reader to be familiar with the plot of the Book of Exodus, at least in vague terms. That said, there's a great deal of interpersonal drama and intrigue that will keep even nonreligious readers engaged in the tale of Noa's sheepherding family.

A good choice for readers who love historical tales of strong-willed women.

Kirkus Reviews