A compelling story of adventure, romance, and intrigue, set in ancient Egypt.
Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom. In order to gain it, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of a double spy for two arch enemies--each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt.
Against her will, Mara finds herself falling in love with one of her masters, the noble Sheftu, and she starts to believe in his plans of restoring Thutmose III to the throne. But just when Mara is ready to offer Sheftu her help and her heart, her duplicity is discovered, and a battle ensues in which both Mara's life and the fate of Egypt are at stake.
--Publisher's Synopsis
Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a historical novel. The story tells of a beautiful young slave girl living in ancient Egypt during the rule of Queen Hatshepsut. Mara is not like other slaves; she can read and write, as well as speak Babylonian.She also, oddly enough, has bright blue eyes. Struggling daily to find a way out of her wretched life as a slave Mara takes secret visits to the marketplace, behind her cruel master's back. On one such trip when in search of food, Mara happens to be seen by a mysterious stranger who, noticing her quick-thinking and bilingual talents, offers to buy Mara from her cruel master.
Once in private, her new master explains his true purpose in purchasing her: she is to work as a spy for none other than the pharaoh, Hatshepsut. Threatening her with death if anyone is to know her task, but promising riches and freedom if she succeeds with her mission, the new master sends Mara off and onto an adventure she will never forget.
Mara - enslaved and desperate to achieve freedom; literate and fluent in Egyptian and Babylonian; cunning and witty. She is fiercely independent, and works for her own gain.
Lord Sheftu - the secret leader of the rebellion against Hatshepsut. In public he is loyal to the pharaoh, but in reality he is fighting for Thutmose's claim under the guise of Sashai the scribe.
Nekonkh - captain of The Silver Beetle, and an ally of Sheftu's. Gruff but loyal, and a kind father figure to Mara.
Inanni - the Babylonian princess sent to marry Thutmose, and Mara's one true friend.
Mara, Daughter of the Nile has been my favorite book since 1999, when I chanced across a review of it in Cricket and decided to give it a try. I've read hundreds of books, but this book has always managed to stay my favorite because of its unique storyline and romance, and engaging characters (not to mention the detailed historical references!). After re-reading it recently, I decided that this fantastic novel needed a fanlisting! This book is a must-read for any fans of ancient Egypt, intrigue, and romance.
So what is a fanlisting, anyway? Well, the short version is that it's exactly what it sounds like: a list of fans. Fanlistings exist for just about every subject you can think of, from TV series and movies to historical figures to brands of soap!
But fanlistings can be a lot more than just a list! Many fanlisting owners expand their sites to have beautiful graphics, fanworks like stories and music videos, and much more. Many fanlistings also allow fan submissions, letting fans from all over the world get in on the fun. Joining a fanlisting is a lot like "liking" a page on Facebook, but without the baggage of distant family members and the burden of having to sign all your personal data away.
You can learn more about fanlistings at The Fanlistings Network, an online directory of almost all the fanlistings that can be found on the web. So now that you know, I hope you'll add your name to the list and join in on the fun!