Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict is a dual timeline, dual POV story. It follows Lady Evelyn “Eve” Herbert, an amateur Egyptologist, in the early 20th century as she, her father, and her mentor work to uncover the tombs of pharaohs Tutankhamen and Hatshepsut. We also get glimpses into Hatshepsut’s perspective between 1400 and 1500 BC.
I appreciate Benedict’s continued commitment to telling the stories of key women throughout history, some well known and others less so. I didn’t know anything about Eve or Hatshepsut before reading this book, and I found them both fascinating.
Despite how interesting the topic and subjects are, I wouldn’t call this one of Benedict’s stronger outings. The pacing felt off, and very little happened in the first 20 percent of the book. The flow improved around the halfway mark, but the ending felt rushed in both Eve’s story and Hatshepsut’s. I also found Hatshepsut’s sections confusing at times as someone who came in without much knowledge of life in ancient Egypt.
I did end up enjoying this book. It even sent me searching for documentaries about Eve and her discoveries so I could better visualize the events. I think readers who already know a bit about ancient Egypt and Egyptology will enjoy it even more than I did. Others may struggle to get into it, although if you can push past the first 20 percent, it’s worth sticking with. I remain a Marie Benedict fan and look forward to seeing which woman in history she writes about next.
Note: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
