- captivating double spy tale based in Ancient Egypt
- a clever heroine, mysterious plot twists, and many page-turning scenes
- convo: regular prayers/chants/blessings to various gods throughout (i.e., “by Set”), contextual customs described or mentioned (such as spirits of the dead, amulets, omens, etc.), a few graphic beatings (men beating or whipping slaves), romance*, many lies, various alcoholic drinks mentioned, murders mentioned, one murder described, one suicide
- language: x7 stupid, x1 ass (donkey), x1 hussy
Type: historical fiction chapter book
Ages: 11+
Author: Eloise Jarvis McGraw
*Regarding the romance, there are some instances where attraction is simply implied, but there is also “ogling,” a few flirting scenes (fake to get favors, but nonetheless, flirting), a few instances where a man grabs a woman in intimidation, and a couple brief but rough kisses.
This book was intense! McGraw has a superb writing style and captured our attentions immediately. I strongly recommend scribbling down some sort of notes as you read this book. The complication of the plot, with all the double spying, combined with an abundance of strange names would have been quite confusing to us had we not stopped to make basic notes. But the end is quite satisfying and worth reaching.
Please truly consider the above age recommendation for any child remotely sensitive and not used to this kind of content. And if you’re unsure, read it aloud to them with frequent discussions.
In fact, if you read this secular book as a Christian, there are a number of conversations easily found in the story. One of the themes my children and I kept coming back to was the overarching feeling of hopelessness in ancient Egypt. They had false gods for everything, so many chants and rituals to appease them, false hope in what the afterlife looks like, etc. How does that look compared to living a life in the shelter of our Shepherd, Jesus? Do we have hope? Where does our hope come from?
Overall, the book was terrific. It amazes me that a writer can construct such a perplexing yet sophisticated plot. Some of the suspenseful scenes had us throwing out the day’s schedule and reading till we could take a breath again. 🙂 Let me know if you read it!