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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. |
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“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 Review
“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. Fans of Biblical-themed fiction and those interested in women’s history will enjoy this book.” — Review by B. J. Sedlock, Historical Novels Review
“Judging Noa is an impeccably researched and richly detailed story of one woman’s struggle against a patriarchal system that threatens not only her freedom but her life. Noa’s courage and determination make for an empowering and thought-provoking read.”— Rebecca Kanner, award-winning author of Esther: A Novel and Sinners and the Sea: the untold story of Noah’s Wife
“Combining the brief biblical story of Zelophechad and his five daughters, Judging Noa, with its double-entendre, is a perfect title for this intriguing novel. With creative imagination, as well as her immense knowledge of flora and fauna, Michal Strutin took me on a journey in this multi-layered sensual and sense-laden technicolor story.” — Peninnah Schram is an internationally known storyteller and author of, most recently, Jewish Stories of Love and Marriage: Folktales, Legends & Letters, co-authored with Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
“Michal Strutin’s debut novel, Judging Noa, brings these lost years to life in language that is by turns spare and uncomfortably direct, and lyrically poetic. Noa, the main heroine, seeks a new kind of justice from a patriarchal society that is loath to change anything in the midst of the wrenching cultural upheaval that is turning them from slaves to a free people. Strutin combines well-researched details of desert life with enchanting story-telling that rivals the tales of the Bible itself. Highly recommended!” — Mary F. Burns, author of J – The Woman Who Wrote the Bible
“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. Fans of Biblical-themed fiction and those interested in women’s history will enjoy this book.” — Review by B. J. Sedlock, Historical Novels Review
“Judging Noa is an impeccably researched and richly detailed story of one woman’s struggle against a patriarchal system that threatens not only her freedom but her life. Noa’s courage and determination make for an empowering and thought-provoking read.”— Rebecca Kanner, award-winning author of Esther: A Novel and Sinners and the Sea: the untold story of Noah’s Wife
“Combining the brief biblical story of Zelophechad and his five daughters, Judging Noa, with its double-entendre, is a perfect title for this intriguing novel. With creative imagination, as well as her immense knowledge of flora and fauna, Michal Strutin took me on a journey in this multi-layered sensual and sense-laden technicolor story.” — Peninnah Schram is an internationally known storyteller and author of, most recently, Jewish Stories of Love and Marriage: Folktales, Legends & Letters, co-authored with Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
“Michal Strutin’s debut novel, Judging Noa, brings these lost years to life in language that is by turns spare and uncomfortably direct, and lyrically poetic. Noa, the main heroine, seeks a new kind of justice from a patriarchal society that is loath to change anything in the midst of the wrenching cultural upheaval that is turning them from slaves to a free people. Strutin combines well-researched details of desert life with enchanting story-telling that rivals the tales of the Bible itself. Highly recommended!” — Mary F. Burns, author of J – The Woman Who Wrote the Bible
NOA WALKED ALONE, amid a chaos of bleating sheep, braying asses, clouds of dust, and a long shambling line of people. She preferred it. As the Israelites plodded into the desert, away from Egypt and slavery, being alone within the crowd gave Noa time to notice without being noticed.
Her mother saw her as ripe for marriage. At sixteen, Noa saw herself as ripe for the land her father promised, for streams splashing down verdant hills, for anything at all. She looked to the dry hills on the horizon, so different from the Nile delta. A tiny sunbird flashed overhead, catching her attention with its sapphire plumage. As she watched it fly to a red-flowered vine winding through a lone acacia tree, Noa heard a voice behind her.
“Like a jewel in flight . . . yes?”
Noa turned and saw a young woman about her age, stunningly different from most. Freckles sprinkled her nose and the crests of her cheeks. Golden, wavy hair framed her face. Noa stared. She had never seen anyone so pale and shiny.
“Everyone stares . . . at first.”
“I’m sorry, I did not mean . . .”
“I’m used to it,” she said. “My name is Yoela. Do you mind if I walk with you?”
Embarrassed that she had stared, Noa was, for once, without words, so simply said, “Please.”
“What do they call you?”
“Call me?”
Noa could not seem to catch the rhythm of conversation.
“You know . . . your name,” Yoela urged.
“Noa. Noa! Oh, I’m not usually this blank.”
She looked at Yoela, who was biting the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing. Then both burst into giggles.
As they walked, they told what they had brought out of Egypt and what they expected to find at the end of their journey.
“My father trained Malah and me to breed flocks for the best traits,” Noa said, leaking pride. “And he tells of the green land we are returning to. There I will lie on soft grasses under the shade of trees and watch goats I bred milk themselves.”
A smile lit Yoela’s face, pleasing Noa.
“You have a far different father than most. We have few sheep and goats, and no name to speak of. So, I will be happy with one tree. But anything is possible.”
They walked in silence for some moments, each imagining possibilities.
Then Yoela said, “I saw you with another maiden. Your sister?”
“Yes. That’s Malah. She ran up to walk with the daughters of Manasseh’s headmen. She prefers to walk with the highest of our tribe. My parents should have switched her name with my sister Milcah. Malah thinks she is the Queen.”
“So, there are more of you?”
“You ask a lot of questions. But, yes, three sisters besides Malah. Younger. And you?”
“A brother. Two years older.”
“Like my sister. But Malah would never marry a man with no name. Me? Noa is name enough for me.”
“I knew a Noa. She was married to a mouse.”
“Impossible!” Noa laughed.
“Truly. But she, too, was a mouse. And what happened to them in Pharaoh’s storehouse?”
“Better than what happened to us, I hope.”
“Listen. I will tell you . . .”
Yoela bubbled like a spring in the desert and was full of stories that helped pass the time.
Her mother saw her as ripe for marriage. At sixteen, Noa saw herself as ripe for the land her father promised, for streams splashing down verdant hills, for anything at all. She looked to the dry hills on the horizon, so different from the Nile delta. A tiny sunbird flashed overhead, catching her attention with its sapphire plumage. As she watched it fly to a red-flowered vine winding through a lone acacia tree, Noa heard a voice behind her.
“Like a jewel in flight . . . yes?”
Noa turned and saw a young woman about her age, stunningly different from most. Freckles sprinkled her nose and the crests of her cheeks. Golden, wavy hair framed her face. Noa stared. She had never seen anyone so pale and shiny.
“Everyone stares . . . at first.”
“I’m sorry, I did not mean . . .”
“I’m used to it,” she said. “My name is Yoela. Do you mind if I walk with you?”
Embarrassed that she had stared, Noa was, for once, without words, so simply said, “Please.”
“What do they call you?”
“Call me?”
Noa could not seem to catch the rhythm of conversation.
“You know . . . your name,” Yoela urged.
“Noa. Noa! Oh, I’m not usually this blank.”
She looked at Yoela, who was biting the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing. Then both burst into giggles.
As they walked, they told what they had brought out of Egypt and what they expected to find at the end of their journey.
“My father trained Malah and me to breed flocks for the best traits,” Noa said, leaking pride. “And he tells of the green land we are returning to. There I will lie on soft grasses under the shade of trees and watch goats I bred milk themselves.”
A smile lit Yoela’s face, pleasing Noa.
“You have a far different father than most. We have few sheep and goats, and no name to speak of. So, I will be happy with one tree. But anything is possible.”
They walked in silence for some moments, each imagining possibilities.
Then Yoela said, “I saw you with another maiden. Your sister?”
“Yes. That’s Malah. She ran up to walk with the daughters of Manasseh’s headmen. She prefers to walk with the highest of our tribe. My parents should have switched her name with my sister Milcah. Malah thinks she is the Queen.”
“So, there are more of you?”
“You ask a lot of questions. But, yes, three sisters besides Malah. Younger. And you?”
“A brother. Two years older.”
“Like my sister. But Malah would never marry a man with no name. Me? Noa is name enough for me.”
“I knew a Noa. She was married to a mouse.”
“Impossible!” Noa laughed.
“Truly. But she, too, was a mouse. And what happened to them in Pharaoh’s storehouse?”
“Better than what happened to us, I hope.”
“Listen. I will tell you . . .”
Yoela bubbled like a spring in the desert and was full of stories that helped pass the time.
Book Clubs & Reading Groups Discussion Guide
| Judging Noa Reading Guide |
From the author
While living in Denver, I had joined a group organizing a program for a Jewish women’s camp retreat when women were striving to reclaim their place in history. The program organizer, who became a friend, focused the program on the little-known biblical story of Zelophechad’s daughters. Based on a few verses, five sisters pursued their right to inherit land so they would not be reduced to bondswomen. Women inheriting land was unheard of for most of history, affecting the lives and choices of women for centuries. Even today, many women around the world cannot inherit. Yet, the Bible tells of a stunning conclusion 3500 years old. I had to tell their story.
While living in Denver, I had joined a group organizing a program for a Jewish women’s camp retreat when women were striving to reclaim their place in history. The program organizer, who became a friend, focused the program on the little-known biblical story of Zelophechad’s daughters. Based on a few verses, five sisters pursued their right to inherit land so they would not be reduced to bondswomen. Women inheriting land was unheard of for most of history, affecting the lives and choices of women for centuries. Even today, many women around the world cannot inherit. Yet, the Bible tells of a stunning conclusion 3500 years old. I had to tell their story.
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Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think the Bible’s editors included the story of Zelophechad’s daughters? 2. What relevance does it have for life today? 3. What parallels—if any—do you see from then to now? 4. What is Noa’s relationship to her friend Yoela. 5. How does Noa change over time? 6. What is Noa’s relationship to her husband Hur, and how does it change over time. 7. Who do you think was the most compelling character in Judging Noa, and why? The second-most compelling character, and why? 8. How were their lives different from ours? How the same? 9. What interested you most in this tale? 10. What did you want to know more about? |
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