Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict
ARC from St. Martins Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
1920’s London was enthralled by the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Filled with priceless statues, jewels, and the gold-encased mummy of the boy Pharaoh himself, the burial site unleashed a fascination with the ancient world and revolutionized the world of archeology. The discovery was made by Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle and his associate, famed archeologist Howard Carter. What no one knows is that without the pioneering spirit of Lady Evelyn Herbert, Carnarvon’s daughter, the tomb might never have been found. As a young woman, Evelyn was fascinated by the story of Hatshepsut, a woman who had to assume the guise of a man in order to rule Egypt. Although she brought peace and prosperity to Egypt, her male successors ruthlessly and thoroughly erased her name from history. Lady Evelyn’s ambition to find the tomb of Egypt’s first woman ruler exposes her to life-threatening danger and pits her against archeologists who refuse to believe the tomb can be found―and certainly not by a woman. Refusing to give up, Evelyn is on the verge of success when she is suddenly forced to make an agonizing choice between loyalty to her beloved father and Carter and realizing the dream of a lifetime.
My Review: 3.75 stars
Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict has been a long-time favorite author of mine. She’s ridiculously adept at finding important women in history and shining a bright light on them.
This is a dual timeline story, taking place in the 1920s and in ancient Egypt. The story takes on Lady Evelyn who is the daughter of Lord Carnarvon. She is ambitious and curious and also believes that if only they’d let her help, she can help them find the tomb of the only female Pharoh. I loved the voice of Hatshepsut, the female Pharaoh long forgotten in history.
There were times of dire disasters, times of great success, some romance and a lot of learning while reading this book. I adored the strength of both Hatshepsut and Lady Evelyn and found their feminist leanings to be comparable and admirable. I appreciated learning about ancient Egypt and really appreciated the strong bond between Lady Evelyn and her father. It was nice to see that portrayed so vividly.
Interestingly, I was more connected to Hatshepsut than any other character and part of me wishes that this was just her story. I do think there were parts that were a bit too lengthy or repetitive. It didn’t hinder my audio experience at all though – the narrators were superb.
