Renowned for her ability to bring to life forgotten and ignored women in history, Marie Benedict invites readers into both ancient and postwar Egypt in DAUGHTER OF EGYPT, which explores the reign of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s most famous female pharaohs.

On the surface, the worlds of England and Egypt seem to be polar opposites. Yet, in the 1920s, they were torn asunder by World War I, with the resulting mayhem birthing a rise in Egyptian nationalism. Overseen by Great Britain, Egypt’s people were understandably miffed at having been forced to take part in a war in which they had no official stake. By the end of it, Saad Zaghloul had formed the Wafd Party, an organization that demanded autonomy for its people. With revolts, protests and demonstrations breaking out left and right, the future of Britain’s control of Egypt was in question --- and, with it, the field of archaeology and Britain’s rampant Egyptology craze.

It is amid this maelstrom that we meet Lady Evelyn “Eve” Herbert, the daughter of Lord Carnarvon, whose patronage of esteemed archaeologist Howard Carter has garnered the family numerous glittering artifacts, as well as respect on the global stage. Born and bred for a life of debutante balls and the marriage market, Eve has carefully maintained an interest in all things Egypt, hidden tombs and, most notably, the reign of Hatshepsut. 

"With the publication of DAUGHTER OF EGYPT, Marie Benedict has indeed reinvigorated the splendor of Egypt’s most famous and forgotten pharaoh. Once again, she cements her role as the best of the best in the canon of literature about ignored female icons."

Born a princess and titled as God’s Wife of Amun, Hatshepsut successfully ruled Egypt in the late 1400s BC and restored trade with Asia; ensured work, food and services for her people; and created one of the most ambitious building plans in Egypt’s history. And she did it all without constant war. But in the years since her reign, her name, visage and likeness have been destroyed, scratched out of monuments, temple walls and statues. Historians credit her reign not to a sharp mind or a mastery of politics, but to the cunning shrewdness of a manipulative woman.

For years Eve has studied the little that is known about Hatshepsut, but she has just made a discovery. Hidden among the rubbish her father brought back from a dig is a one-inch scarab figure, and carved on it is Hatshepsut’s childhood name. Given that her tomb has been lost for centuries, the find is significant. But just as important is the civil unrest in Egypt; the country’s perspective on English people; and, perhaps most distressingly for Eve, her mother’s assurances that her first and only focus must be finding a husband.

So it is that Benedict introduces us to a world at odds: past and present, Egypt and England, Eve the archaeologist and Eve the future wife. Although Lord Carnarvon delights in her interest in his field, he views her intrigue more as that of a child’s whimsy, not the seriously academic and meticulous student she has become. Still, uplifted by the end of the war and his ability to return to his digs, he surprises his daughter at Christmas with a ticket to Egypt. Though Lord Carnarvon has his sights on finding the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun, Howard Carter is equally obsessed with the female pharaoh and vows to Eve that he will help her conduct her research secretly. After all, a good find is a good find, and King’s Valley is full of secrets waiting to be uncovered.

But the Egypt that Eve travels to is surprising to her in many ways. First, despite the rampant Egyptology fad taking hold of Britain, the English visitors and expats of Egypt maintain strict boundaries from the actual people they have come to study, citing concerns of hygiene and religious differences. Second, despite her fever for all things ancient Egypt, Eve realizes she has forgotten that present-day Egypt is also a history unfolding, with its push for autonomy mirroring that of the very same pharaohs she has long studied. And last of all, the underground and black market sales of artifacts are far more pervasive than she ever realized…and her father may be involved.

Eve is dedicated to uncovering and preserving Egypt’s --- and especially Hatshepsut’s --- history. But there are few paths for a woman in archaeology…and fewer still that don’t risk revealing something dangerous about her own family.

Alternating chapters take us back to 1486 BC, where a young Hatshepsut learns from her all-powerful father and prepares to marry and become queen. When tragedy strikes again and again --- first with Hatshepsut being forced to marry her younger brother, then losing him --- she must reckon with the fact that in a family full of dead sons and bastards, she may be her country’s best bet at a successful and prosperous rule. It is in these passages where Benedict really sets the stage for everything yet to come. Her descriptions of ancient Egypt’s colors, richness and vibrancy make clear just how much is hiding under postwar Egypt’s sand and how much Eve stands to discover if only she is allowed to do so.

Dovetailing Eve’s first dig --- frustratingly interrupted by a revolt --- with the story of Hatshepsut herself, through her own eyes and in her own words, Benedict paints a portrait of a country that is always evolving, but also of two unstoppable women at odds with their eras. In Hatshepsut we see a woman born into the kind of power bestowed only by the gods, yet discouraged from ever actually using it, despite her keen intellect and sharp mind. Through Eve, we see how smart, capable women have long been relegated to the sidelines and what we stand to lose when their contributions are prevented or disregarded.

Paired together, the women’s stories bob and weave in satisfying ways, converging only when the moment is most powerful. Benedict never forces or overwrites a generational parallel, allowing her characters to speak only for themselves and leaving it up to readers to make the connection. Much like the rigorous, meticulous research she has so obviously done, it is this control and mastery that allows her characters, settings and clear breakdowns of historic events to burst from the pages and bring her stories to life.

When expressing her love of Egyptian history, Eve remarks, “History should not be relegated to a dusty corner. We should pick it up, examine it, and allow it to inform our current days.” I can think of no better way to describe the service that Benedict has done here, both in giving Hatshepsut her due and in allowing readers to meet, connect with and relate to her stellar protagonist. As you descend into forgotten tombs and journey up the Nile with Benedict and her magnificent characters, the honorific that was bestowed upon Hatshepsut takes on new meaning: In all her splendor.

With the publication of DAUGHTER OF EGYPT, Marie Benedict has indeed reinvigorated the splendor of Egypt’s most famous and forgotten pharaoh. Once again, she cements her role as the best of the best in the canon of literature about ignored female icons.