EXILE EXODUS

Fleming’s historical novel traces Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten’s tumultuous reign as it coincides with the biblical exodus and the subsequent birth of Judaism.

The year is 1371 BCE, and Amenhotep IV is 10 years old. Despite the fact that he’s the youngest son of the pharaoh, children from the labor village bully him and tease him about the fact that his family worships Amen, “the hidden one who has no form.” From there, the narrative jumps forward, largely centering on the long, turbulent history of Amenhotep IV’s reign, which only comes about due to the death of his pharaoh father and the tragic drowning of his older brother, Thutmoses, during a military campaign. A thoughtful man, Amenhotep IV often struggles with issues of spirituality: “Only my thoughts of awareness have meaning. It is as if the gods are looking at the world through my eyes. Is it one god, or several gods, or is it Aten – or something else beyond my understanding, or simply a distorted illusion of my incidental soul?” He eventually concludes that Aten is the one true god—a radical departure from Egyptian polytheism. He changes his name to Akhenaten and rules Upper and Lower Egypt with his beloved wife, Nefertiti, at his side. Years later, their grown daughter, Meritaten, finds an abandoned baby, whom she takes in as her own and names Moses. Multiple storylines document the turmoil of Akhenaten’s unusual rule as political rivals plot schemes and assassinations. The events ultimately culminate in Moses’ leading the famous exodus from Egypt, resulting in a religious movement that will change the world forever.

Fleming does an admirable job of weaving together a multitude of happenings over the novel’s timespan. Readers who are unfamiliar with Egyptian history will see some familiar names pop up, such as Nefertiti and Tutankhamen. However, character names become increasingly hard to keep track of after they start to change in the middle of the narrative (Amenhotep to Akhenaten, Nebetah to Beketaten, Tutankhaten to Tutankhamen, and so on). It’s inconvenient, but Fleming does his best to make it as painless as possible by providing an extremely helpful family tree at the beginning of the novel, and by grounding the narrative in concrete historical touchstones. The dialogue flows naturally, with no attempt at old-fashioned dialect, and the author manages to keep up a brisk pace, despite dedicating a large amount of text to the ins and outs of Egyptian politics. The book even manages to branch out into thriller territory with the shocking murder of a key player. One of its most interesting aspects is Fleming’s personalization of historical events; Moses’s reluctance to accept his exile, for example, feels distinctly relatable: “‘We cannot leave Egypt. It is our home. We were born and raised here for many generations.’ Moses stood up and put his hand on his chest. ‘I was raised in the royal family of Pharaoh Tutankhamen.’” It’s this sense of humanity that carries the novel and effectively provides context to a dramatic time in history.

An intricate tale that presents an intriguing blend of politics, romance, and betrayal.