I recently had the pleasure of reading the Purple House Press reprint of The Lost Queen of Egypt by Lucille Morrison, a beautifully produced edition featuring full-color endpapers with Egyptian illustrations, and a hieroglyphics glossary in the back along with a pronunciation guide. Originally published in 1937, this elegant and captivating novel is a hidden treasure of historical fiction. It deserves to be more well known, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
My lifelong fascination with Egypt made this book an absolute delight. I was born in 1977, the same year the “Treasures of Tutankhamun” exhibit was showcased at the Field Museum in Chicago. My childhood home had a wall-sized tapestry of the Boy King, and my grandparents once toured the Valley of the Kings. At some point, I even learned how to read and draw some hieroglyphics—though, sadly, I can no longer write my own name in them. And, just for fun, my maiden name is Morrison, making it all the more delightful to discover a work of historical fiction about Egypt written by an author who shares my name.
The history of King Tutankhamun and his wife, Ankhesenpaaten, remains a topic of debate among historians and Egyptologists. The chaotic relationships within Egypt’s royal families, combined with incomplete historical records and damaged artifacts, have led to much speculation over the years. While DNA testing has shed some light on questions of lineage, many mysteries still persist. The power struggles, illnesses, religious rites, name changes, marriages, and remarriages are as confusing and unexpected as any modern-day soap opera.
This novel grabs hold of the threads of continuity in the differing accounts and weaves a delightful story that is just as plausible as any other version. Written for older children (what today we would call middle grade or even YA), Morrison steers clear of the more scandalous possibilities and draws the reader into a fairly innocent and lovely account of this famous royal family.
This fascinating story invites us into the royal palace Akhetaten where the Pharaoh Akhenaten, 10th ruler of the 18th Dynasty, and Queen Nefertiti have built a city dedicated to the worship of Aten, the “one god,” and where they are raising their six daughters. Their third daughter, Ankhesenpaaten, is just six years old when the story begins, and we follow her life through her marriage to Tutankhamun and just a little beyond.
Tutankhamun and Ankhesenpaaten were not born to be king and queen. Others were born ahead of them and raised for the role. But, as often happens, the crowns came to them out of necessity. Morrison suggests that these two were destined for leadership because of their keen intelligence, charisma, and youthful vigor. Mentored by an excellent counsellor and by a wise and capable friend, they were quick studies of politics and religion. And, the author allows her young pair to be happy in their marriage, even though the young pharaoh died at 18 or 19 years old.
What makes this story ideal for 7th-12th graders is that it is not just an excellent window into a foreign world that can be difficult to understand. This story makes us feel at home in that world. It gives us many settings and landscapes to imagine through vivid descriptions, but it also helps us care about those scenes because of the characters that are in them. I long to see the palace gardens after reading about Kenofer sleeping in a tree all night. I feel like I can picture the barge as it transports the King and Queen to Thebes. And I would love to see the furniture in the palace handcrafted by the goldsmith’s sons. The story brings an ancient civilization to life, making it feel both wondrous and familiar.
Egyptian history is complex, but The Lost Queen of Egypt brings the drama and intrigue to life. This is historical fiction at its finest. I only wish there had been more!