From the beginning of Speare’s novel, the power and promise of women is addressed. Malthace accompanies her twin brother up the mountain, which is in itself startling enough. Few girls in her era would risk being so adventuresome.

Malthace is also an expert debater. She regularly backs her claims with evidence. When Daniel complains that the vow to fight for freedom is not to be taken by “a pretty little girl,” Malthace readily offers examples of how God has used women in the past for his work. She cites Deborah, who inspired the Jewish people to act against their oppressors, and Queen Esther, who was instrumental in helping the Jewish people find peace in their captivity. Thacia sways both her brother and Daniel with her argument, and they allow her to take the vow.

Malthace also helps underscore her value through her willingness to take risks. She is the one who nurses Daniel back to health after he is injured, despite the risks to herself from her father, who would be angry that she has allowed someone “unclean” into their home. It is she who comes up with the plan to dress up as her brother in order to give Joel the alibi he needs. When Daniel and Thacia are surprised by Roman soldiers (who think she is a boy), she picks up her pack and carries it as well as a man could.

Thacia, however, is not the only woman who acts to further the cause of women. It is through Leah that women’s work is appreciated. Leah does her part to support the family by working on her loom. The loom is symbolic of women’s abilities to keep a family knitted together. Leah is the one who knows how to bake, sew, and garden; all are activities that nurture the family. Like Thacia, Leah transcends her comfort level by reaching out far beyond her boundaries when she falls in love with an outsider and “enemy.”

Minor female characters also work to expand the role of women and to underscore their value to society. For example, women are the ones who prepare the meals for Jesus and receive his special blessing. It is a woman who tentatively brings Daniel a dish of oil and a wick when his grandmother is dying. A woman kindly gives Daniel a needle when he goes to the marketplace to buy cloth for Leah. From beginning to end, both major and minor female characters move the narrative toward its major theme of love.