A Cry From Egypt - A Review

A Cry From Egypt
- Book One of The Promised Land
- by homeschool graduate, Hope Auer
- illustrated by homeschool graduate, Mike Slaton


- $12.50 for advance-reader copies

- from the publishers, Raising Real Men

Hal and Melanie Young

Recommended for children ages 8 and up

Other wonderful resources are also available from  Raising Real Men.



About the book (from the author):

"Jarah was a slave in Egypt. It was a dangerous place to be. Her work was exhausting and her family was torn between the gods of the Egyptians and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And her brother… would his Ada be given in marriage to an Egyptian in the palace? Would they ever be free?

Adventure, excitement, love, and faith come together when Jarah and her family fi nd themselves at the culmination of four hundred years of history."

Our Thoughts:

If you are familiar with my posts, you probably know that I don't like textbooks for history.  I find them dry and boring, and they don't spend enough time on one particular topic for a student to truly get a thorough grasp of it.  That is why I prefer living books, movies, documentaries, etc.  Things that were written or produced by people who have a passion, and thorough knowledge, of the topic they are discussing.

So when any living history books come up for review, I jump at the chance to read it.  The fact that this book was written and illustrated by homeschool graduates makes it all the more exciting for me, being a homeschool family.

My children and I are very familiar with the story of Moses and his mission to get the Pharaoh to "let my people go".  We know that Moses argues with God and didn't want to be the messenger.  And how God sent several plagues to show His power to the Egyptian Pharaoh.   Then Pharaoh finally lets the Israelites go, then changes his mind and chases after them.

We know the facts, but this book helps us understand the feelings.  Using fictional characters as observers of the events, we get a glimpse into how greatly the Israelites suffered while in slavery.  How unbelievable and indescribable the unfolding events with Moses must have been.  The great hope they held out that they might one day be truly free, after 400 years in slavery. 

This book has added such insight into an amazing time in history, when God worked amazing miracles and signs and wonders.  "A Cry from Egypt" gives us insight into the culture of the time also: clothing, food, housing, traditions, climate, etc.

This has been our favorite read-aloud this year.  I didn't know what to expect, didn't know if we would enjoy it.  But I can tell you now...It is very good.


Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge, as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.