DAUGHTERS OF FIRE: HEROINES OF THE BIBLE Illustrations by Uri Shulevitz School & Library Binding: 88 pages. Dimensions (in inches): 0.48 x 10.75 x 9.74 Publisher: Harcourt ISBN: 0152018697 (September 2001)

          Few can surpass the women of the Bible as role models of courage, wisdom, and strength. From Eve, the first woman of the earth, to Esther, who risked her life to save her people from persecution, to Yael, who slew the enemy of her people, Biblical stories of valorous women shape the human character and spirit. Fran Manushkin's sensitive retellings of ten stories from the Bible and folklore brings these women to life again, and Uri Shulevitz imbues each with strength and humanity.

How I came to write this book

This was definitely the most difficult book I ever wrote! It took years of research into the Torah, Folklore, and Midrash. The book actually began with my enthusiasm for Deborah, who was a judge, a poet, and a warrior. Indeed, she's my favorite woman in the Bible. But the more I researched Deborah and the other women of the Bible, the more I came to respect and love them, each for their very individual strengths and weaknesses. These women give us so much to aspire to, emulate, and avoid! I want my stories about them to encourage spirited discussion as well as inspire today's young girls and women to be heroic and daring, and to make their own special contributions to Jewish life.

Reviews

"The book covers all the major Jewish heroines, from Eve to Esther, with each one's story broken down into a short, easily understood chapter. It's marketed as a children's book, but it could also be a way for adults to become a little more familiar with the basic Jewish stories. Ms. Manushkin's language is the book's most appealing quality. It's clear, but not oversimplified or unsophisticated, and the author makes no assumptions about her readers' religious knowledge. In the chapter 'The Women in the Wilderness', Ms. Manushkin writes, "At Mount Sinai God spoke to an entire people for the first time. With these Ten Commandments, the Children of Israel now had a way to bring justice to the world, and to help perfect God's creation." That's pretty basic information, but it's elegantly presented. Writing from a decidedly feminist perspective, Ms. Manushkin, who's written several Jewish children's books, also doesn't hesitate to offer an opinion where she feels one is due. The chapter 'Leah and Rachel' begins, "Leah and Rachel were Rebecca's nieces, the daughters of her thieving brother, Laban. To be Laban's sister was surely a misfortune, but to be his daughters was a disaster!"
An adult wouldn't feel self conscious reading this book, and as a family read-aloud book, Daughters of Fire is perfect. Children can take long looks at the pictures while a parent reads, and none of the 10 stories should take more than 10 minutes to finish, even counting in time for questions."
The Forward