
Content levels
Trigger warnings
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
What would it be like to be Moses? To grow up as royalty, and then give it all up on principle? To go from palaces to wilderness? To go from being considered a god, to coming to know the real God? The law said he was supposed to die at birth, but he lived. Pharaoh's daughter declared him to be her son, but he choose to be a son of Israel. He tried to lead the quiet life of a shepherd, but the lord sent him to tell Pharaoh: Let my people go. As his life was changed again and again, how did Moses make the choices that prepared him to be the prophet of God? How did life look through his own eyes? We cannot know, but we can try to imagine, and in Stone Tables, noted LDS author Orson Scott Card explores what it might have been like to be Moses. He also explores the lives of Moses' brother Aaron, his sister Miriam, the two women he called "mother," and the woman he married. Who knew him better than these fellow travelers on the long journey from the despair of slavery to the joy of liberation, from reliance on their own wit and strength to putting themselves in the hands on God? All their lives were remarkable, and in these pages you will come to know them all.
Is Stone Tables appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
Parents should know this retelling of Moses' story includes biblical violence (plagues, slavery, infanticide), themes of cultural identity struggle, and religious faith as central elements. Content is thoughtful rather than graphic but deals with serious historical/biblical events.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include slavery, death, and grief (see the full list above).
Publisher ages reflect reading level; our rating reflects content maturity — they can differ.
Who'll love this
Teens interested in biblical stories reimagined as character-driven fantasy will appreciate this deep exploration of Moses' journey from prince to prophet.