An idealistic archaeologist challenges tomb raiders in this spirited tale of cementing women’s rightful place in history.
The question of who should own a country’s artifacts and history fuels this novel about colonialism and erasure.
Lady Evelyn Herbert was the first person to enter the burial chamber of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen after its discovery in 1922. She is one of many brilliant women to feature in Benedict’s superb novel, in which women’s impact on history is brought into the light. The history books have credited the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb to the famous Egyptologist Howard Carter and to Britain’s Lord Carnarvon, the avid financial supporter of Carter’s hunt for ancient tombs and treasures. At their side, though, was Evelyn, Carnarvon’s daughter, whose name many of us have never heard. She’s also the conscience in this story, as she rails against Britain and other countries unearthing treasure-filled tombs and taking their priceless artifacts out of Egypt, placing them in Western museums or selling them to collectors. Evelyn’s contributions to archaeology are not widely recognized, nor does history tell us much of the women who rose to the rank of Pharaoh thousands of years ago. In alternating cinematic chapters, Benedict imagines the story of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, who ruled circa 1400 B.C.E. She’s credited with opening new trade routes and initiating huge building projects. And yet, why was her name removed from numerous monuments and temples after her death? Benedict imagines Evelyn, in full Agatha Christie mode, making it her mission to solve that mystery and find Hatshepsut’s tomb. Channeling the adventurous spirit of Indiana Jones and the detective skills of Miss Marple, Evelyn pursues the story of Hatshepsut against a fiery backdrop of unrest as Egyptians fight for independence from Britain and Britain struggles to heal from the damage to its national psyche in the aftermath of World War I.
An idealistic archaeologist challenges tomb raiders in this spirited tale of cementing women’s rightful place in history.Pub Date: March 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781250280732
Page Count: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.
With only a month left until the world ends due to a swiftly approaching black hole, Don and Rodney, a retired gay couple, road-trip from Maine to Washington to spend their final days with their son.
After reports that a planet-swallowing black hole is making its way toward Earth, Rodney and Don—who have been together for 40 years and survived everything from homophobia to the HIV crisis—decide to pack their belongings into an RV, say goodbye to their neighbors, and travel from Camden, Maine, to Washington to uphold a promise to spend their final days with their son. They can’t wait any longer, since there’s already chaos around the country: “Military vehicles in the streets of most cities and towns. Looting, rioting, the burning of cars and buildings and people, all of it had already happened.” As they make their way west across the country, they encounter fellow travelers ranging from close-knit families to free-spirited hippies, some of whom have come to terms with the impending end of the world and others who haven’t. While the story seems to be asking readers what they would do if they had 30 days left to live, and reflects on what different kinds of acceptance might look like in the face of unavoidable tragedy, it loses some of its poignancy in a series of thinly padded monologues about the meaning of life. Clearly intended to pack an emotional punch, it’s failed by an abrupt ending, and the way the journey’s mystery—which will be obvious to many readers—is revealed by an info dump in the last chapter.
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781250881236
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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