DAUGHTER OF EGYPT

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.