'Abish' a remarkable story of young girl

The story of Abish in the Book of Mormon has always intrigued me.Abish is first mentioned in Alma 19.The part she plays is small and leads to many questions. How was her father able to have a vision and teach her? What were the dangers of having a father who believed as the Nephites did? How did she accept what her father told her? How did she end up in the king's household?So many questions and not a lot of answers in the scriptures.Author Brenda Anderson portrays a young woman who is taking care of an ill father and their small holding."Abish awoke, frozen into inaction — a sound was missing — a sound harsher yet quieter than the crickets ... closer and scarier than the wind roaring in the nearby trees. Jashon, her father, rested a mere seven steps away ... The absent sound was his labored breathing. ..."She moved across the dirt floor toward her father, biting her lip, fighting the desperate urge to rush forward and the terrifying need to flee, to not know.She edged forward, then back, in halting motions that stretched the seven steps into twenty before she finally knelt beside him."Thus begins the journey of Abish and her father.After Jashon wakes up from his illness, he starts to tell Abish what happened and how it is going to affect them.Abish is extremely uneasy about what her father is telling her. She is afraid they will be labeled traitors. As Abish puts her trust in her father, she starts to gain her own faith and testimony.The conflict comes from a character named Tikan, who tries to use Jashon and Abish to bring down his cousin and his family.Once Jashon and Abish's secret is out, the father tells his daughter to flee to the king's house and hide from Tikan. The journey is long and dangerous.Once there, she is taken in and given basic jobs to do.In an effort to fight her grief over her father, Abish starts to do more than is asked of her. This brings her to the notice of the head servant, who promotes her to work directly for the Queen.This is a masterful telling of a woman mentioned so briefly in the Book of Mormon. Anderson has woven a rich fabric that is full of culture and real life.I adored reading this book.