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Mara, Daughter of the Nile
Mara Daughter of the Nile
Author: Eloise Jarvis McGraw
The adventures of an ingenious Egyptian slave girl who undertakes a dangerous assignment as a spy in the royal palace of Thebes, in the days when Queen Hatshepsut ruled. — 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 double spy for two arch enemies -- each of...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780140319293
ISBN-10: 0140319298
Publication Date: 10/1985
Pages: 279
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 49

4.5 stars, based on 49 ratings
Publisher: Puffin Books
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Mara, Daughter of the Nile on + 41 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A nice fictional view into life during the reign of Hapsheptsut, the queen who would be king. I enjoyed wondering how close to fact this would have actually ended up being.
reviewed Mara, Daughter of the Nile on + 28 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very good read. I enjoyed reading it as a teen and rereading it now.

"A compelling story of adventure, romance, and intrigue, set in ancient Egypt."
inteligrrl avatar reviewed Mara, Daughter of the Nile on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
At the age of thirteen this was my absolute favorite book. The characters transcend the time period and it's amazingly easy to get into even if you're not a history nut. To this day I wish they'd make a movie of this. I'd strongly recommend it to people trying to encourage weak readers.
reviewed Mara, Daughter of the Nile on
Helpful Score: 1
I'm taking a class on ancient Egyptian women, and I already knew about 1/3 of all the course material just from reading this book! It's a wonderful romance/spy novel with amazingly accurate historical detail and original, sympathetic characters. I recommend it for adults as well as teens - you definitely won't regret taking the time to read this story!
Read All 11 Book Reviews of "Mara Daughter of the Nile"

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Aeroniel avatar reviewed Mara, Daughter of the Nile on
My mother gave me this book when I was studying ancient Egypt in middle school. Even after re-reading it every year for over 10 years, it still has me on the edge of my seat at the ending. The writing is that good.

"Mara" has everything a good book needs. Nuanced characters populate an immersive version of Ancient Egypt. With Mara acting as a double agent in a complex political plot, danger and mystery fill the pages. There's also a strong romantic plot, which features what may very well be the only romantic attempted murder in literary history.

The one thing that takes half a star off my rating is the fact that "Mara" is more fiction than historical fiction. Hatchepsut and Thutmose were real, but my readings into their lives indicate the plot to overthrow her never actually took place and she wasn't all that bad of a ruler. Still, if I'm forced to pick just one favorite book, this is often the one I choose.
mrsquiet avatar reviewed Mara, Daughter of the Nile on + 2 more book reviews
Read this during our Ancient Civilization study of Egypt. It was one that I read to my children a few chapters at a time. I snuck and finished it because I could not wait to see how it ended. My daughter took it and read it herself; over ten years later it is still her favorite book.
momreader5 avatar reviewed Mara, Daughter of the Nile on + 7 more book reviews
An excellent addition to our homeschooling study of Ancient Egypt - especially for our daughters!

Book Wiki

Original Publication Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
People/Characters
Mara (Primary Character)
Sheftu (Primary Character)
Thutmose III (Major Character)
Real Places

Genres: