Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict is an historical fiction read. The book is a dual timeline with two women Hatshepsut in the 1400s and Lady Evelyn Carnarvon in the 1900s. The book mixes fiction and nonfiction seamlessly and draws you into the story line.
Hatshepsut was the power behind the throne when she was married to her half brother and ruled the country when the next pharaoh was still young. She slowly integrated herself into a ruler as she helped her country increase trade and build temples. She faced political rivals and was often able to work around their concerns and plots.
Lady Evelyn Carnarvon was the daughter of Lord Carnarvon and helped with his archeological digs with Howard Carter. Everylyn was extremely well educated and able to carry on conversations about ancient Egypt with most anyone. She was an important part of the most famous of their digs with finding King Tut’s tomb, however she was fascinated with Hatshepsut.
The novel introduced me to so much about how the Egyptians handled all the archeologists in their land. I was unaware of the fight for independence and the uprisings. I also did not know a lot about Hatshepsut and found myself entranced by the descriptions of her daily life. Daughter of Egypt was a great read.
