Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Tirzah and her family are slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh forces them to make mud bricks without straw, so Tirzah cuts grass for her father and older brother to use. The police crack their cruel whips to make them work harder. If only Tirzah's people could escape. If only Moses could persuade Pharaoh to let them go. Surely Yahweh, the Lord God, will hear their prayers to leave Egypt for a better life somewhere else, they hope.
Synopsis
Tirzah's people, the Israelites, have been in slavery to the Egyptians for many years. Tirzah and her lame brother, Oren, help gather straw to make bricks. She observes the suffering of her people and the injustices that are done to them by the Egyptian police. Moses begs Pharaoh to let them go, but Pharaoh makes them work harder.
One night, when the plague of death strikes down Pharaoh's own son, he allows the Israelites to flee on foot, only to pursue them with horses and chariots. He believes he will have them trapped between the mountains and the sea, but God miraculously delivers them. The Israelites celebrate with a song of hope and victory. Tirzah befriends a young Egyptian girl who has fled with them, even though others treat her badly. In spite of hardship and disappointment, Tirzah and her family keep trusting Yahweh to carry them through.