Miriam is a Hebrew-Egyptian girl who lived through the events leading up to the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. She lives on a country estate, and when Pharaoh agrees to "let the people go," her family has to decide whether to remain in Egypt, where they have made themselves quite comfortable, or throw their lot in with the larger Israelite community. Since Miriam's family is outside the protected area where most of the Israelites live, they experience the plagues as the Egyptians did, and they learn of momentous events through messengers and rumors. Adults don't offer Miriam many explanations, so she has to come to her own conclusions.