- a 10-year-old girl’s family is about to lose their farm due to cruel Roman taxes
- she learns to trust God through some difficult circumstances
- refreshingly traditional and multi-generational family unit portrayed throughout
- convo: slaves mentioned a few times, watered-down wine mentioned
- clean language
Type: chapter book
Ages: 6-10
Author: Edith Martin
Illustrator: Peter Fehr
This is a very gentle story but kept the pages turning! Miriam prays regularly for a miracle for her family, and God ultimately answers in a way no one expected. Meanwhile, each member of the family works hard in their respective duties and with a good attitude.
We are inside Miriam’s mind, and the author does a good job at making her thoughts seem realistic for a 10-year-old narrator. She struggles with relatable problems, such as worrying, but trusts her elders, too.
It seems a somewhat obscure book–one I believe I’d never have discovered if it wasn’t suggested in our homeschool curriculum for this history time period–so here’s hoping I can spread the word about it just a little bit. 🙂 If you are studying Ancient Rome and/or New Testament times, see if you can find a copy. It would make a great family read-aloud and has a superb ending.