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5.0 out of 5 stars
Vivid historical detail and a rousing good story, Nov 6 2003
Narrated by a rural peasant girl, Thu, Gedge's Egyptian historical transports the reader to the reign of Ramses III, a time of decline and priestly corruption. Far from the intrigue and politics of the court, Thu schemes to escape her dusty village, enlivening the monotony with fantasies in which her Libu mercenary father is actually a prince in exile.She convinces her brother to teach her to read and when a great seer visits the village she swims out to his elegant barge and offers herself - all she owns of value - for a glimpse of the future. In an eerie scene aboard the dark barge the seer, Hui, spurns the coarse peasant smelling of river mud. But he finds himself as intrigued by Thu's strange blue eyes as she is repulsed by his albino white skin and dazzled by the luxury that surrounds him. He has seen her face in a vision, he tells Thu, their fates are intertwined. Hui takes Thu back with him to Pharaoh's court where she is confined to Hui's estate for months while he has her softened, polished and trained as a lady while indoctrinating her in history, politics, writing and medicine. Thu's rigorous training provides a detailed, colorful portrait of Egyptian life while illustrating the vast gulf between the peasant and even minor nobility. Meanwhile Thu's initial jubilation gives way to boredom and jealousy. She wants more. When a favored servant stands in her way, Thu exhibits a ruthless streak which escapes her control. But fortune still favors her and she finds herself moving from Hui's house to the Pharaoh's harem. Although it's not all she hoped for, Thu perseveres and becomes the Pharaoh's favorite - at the same time advancing Hui's political goals. Gedge's fine, understated prose allows the story to tell itself. Although Thu is the narrator, she is not always in full possession of the whole picture. A complex character of intelligence and ambition, Thu tends to overestimate her irresistible charms and keen mind. She is calculating and naive, scheming and schemed against, childlike in her quick sorrows and regrets and impulsive in her cruelties. Gedge's novel is a multi-layered story of intrigue, Egyptian decline, and the personal choices that make up a destiny. The author's vivid, seamless prose brings to life the teeming activity of the Nile, the merciless heat of the sun, the hot house perfume of the gardens of the wealthy and the dust of impoverished villages. Gedge seems almost to have lived herself in that glittering bygone world of vengeful gods and fabulous feasts where the height of whimsical fashion is a perfumed cone of fat, slowly dripping down an elaborately coiffed wig at a state dinner. This is a historical novel for those who want something richer than the formula of feisty heroine and stormy romance - a novel that is powerfully atmospheric and unexpectedly poignant.
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