Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict- Publishes 3/24/26

 

A novel centered on the first female pharaoh of Egypt, yes please!  Plus Lord Carnarvon had a daughter that was present at the discovery of King Tut's tomb. I had no idea!  As someone who has studied and read so much about this time period, this book taught me so much as well as kept me interested until the very end. 

The novel is told in two parts.  Lady Evelyn is fascinated with ancient Egypt, especially that of Hatshepsut.  Eve dreams of one day finding Hatshepsut's  tomb.  She has joined her father, Lord Carnarvon, and Howard Carter on some of their excavations in the early 1920s.  Her mother however wants to settle down in a good marriage.  Lady Evelyn refuses to give up and is determined to find Haatshepsut's resting place no matter the cost.  The second part of the story is that of Hatshepsut and how she came to be the first female pharaoh of Egypt. Her story is fascinating especially considering that Egypt had a female who ruled successfully and accomplished great things for Egypt in the 1400s B.C.  Yet it is A.D. 2025, and we have yet to have a female president.  

The author certainly did a fantastic job researching and recreating not only the world of ancient Egypt but that of Egypt in the 1920s.  I felt like I was right there and could picture excavating tombs on an archaeological dig. Lady Evelyn was a fascinating character, even more so for me because she was a real person.  This is a book you do not want to miss if you are interested in ancient Egypt and the pharaohs. 

4 out of 5 Stars