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“But if I’m not to be a priestess,” I asked him, “where will my place be in Thebes?” I held my breath, waiting for the right answer to come, willing it into his heart. Then he took me in his arms and brushed his lips against mine.  “With me,” he said firmly. “As my queen.” -from The Heretic Queen, page 126-

Nefartari grows up within in the royal court, a favorite to Pharoah Seti and playmate to his son Ramesses. Her family history has tainted her - her mother, Queen Mutnodjmet, was sister to the Heretic Queen Nefertiti - so it is not a surprise when Ramesses chooses to first marry Iset, a beautiful young woman who carries no controversy in her past and has been befriended by the High Priestess of Isis (who is also the daughter of Pharaoh Seti). It is not long, however, before a plot is hatched by Seti’s other daughter, Woserit, to make Nefertari into the next Queen of Egypt.

The Heretic Queen is Michelle Moran’s sequel to her best-selling novel Nefertiti. In this second book, the reader comes to know Nefertari (who narrates the story) and Ramesses The Great (one of the most well-known ancient Egyptian kings). As Moran points out in her historical notes at the back of the book, The Heretic Queen is ‘first and foremost, a work of fiction.‘ But it is also rich with the history and atmosphere of ancient Egypt. Set amid the towering temples of the Nineteenth Dynasty, the novel is filled with political scheming, the horror of war, the extravagance of royalty, and breathtaking romance.

Moran writes in her historical notes:

What is known for certain about Nefertari, however, is that she and Ramesses were a love match. Buildings and poetry remain today as testaments to this, and in one of Ramesses’s more famous poems he calls Nefertari “the one for whom the sun shines.” His poetry to her can be found from Luxor to Abu Simbel.” -page 373-

AND

On a wall of her burial chamber, Ramesses summed up his love for her as such: “My love is unique and none can rival her … Just by passing, she has stolen away my heart.” -page 374-

Moran captures this love beautifully and it is the romance between these two characters that drives the novel. The tension between Nefertari and her rival Isis never wavers, and although the reader knows the final outcome from the beginning it is this conflict that kept me compulsively turning the pages.

The Heretic Queen is captivating, full of suspense and intrigue, and a must read for historical fiction lovers.

Highly recommended.

Coventry by Helen Humphreys

Pages: 177

First Published: Aug. 2008 (Feb. 2009 in US)
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
First sentence:

The swallow arcs and dives above the cathedral.

Comments: This book tells the story of Nov. 14, 1940, the evening and night that Coventry, England, an industrial town, was bombed to a wasteland by a German air raid during World War II. Two women’s lives are explored in the days leading up to that fateful night and when they meet their lives are forever changed and joined together forever more.

A beautiful little novel, or perhaps better called “novella”, running in at only 177 pages. English town life is deftly described. How both World Wars affected a nation of people is expressed in a simple nonetheless captivating language. Yet the horrors of experiencing and entire night of bombing air raids is chillingly effective in this stunning novel.

I have heard my own Gran (now 92) describe her fear of the air raids in England. To this day she is terrified of thunder, as it sounds like bombs dropping, and she shudders when hearing police, firetruck, etc. sirens as they remind her of the air raid sirens and the bomb shelters. Reading this book has helped me to experience that terror.

Even so, the novel is also a sentimental and bittersweet story of two women and two young men affected forever by war. I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read and well worth it.

In the year since I renounced my Mormon faith, and set out to tell the nation the truth about American polygamy, many people have wondered why I ever agreed to become a plural wife. [First Sentence]

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Random House, 2008
Fiction; 514 pgs

Religion is a subject that fascinates me in general, in particular the historical evolution of various faiths. When I first heard about David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife, I knew I would read it. Although a work of fiction, the historical background of the book is probably what drew me to it the most. I had expected the personal stories that emerged from the novel, but I had not expected such an expansive history lesson too. In his acknowledgments, the author reminds readers that his book is a work of fiction. The novel is well researched, and while the author did take liberties in weaving together his story, many of the details are accurate as recorded through history. I especially love it when a novel inspires me to do further research on my own about a particular topic, and this one certainly did.

The novel is divided into two stories. There is the story of Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of the well-known Brigham Young, Prophet of the Church of Latter Day Saints. The novel takes us through her life, beginning before her birth, with her parents’ adoption to the Mormon faith and their eventual meeting and marriage. Ann Eliza was a strong minded woman who took her faith seriously. She was, however, opposed to polygamy, an institution that Prophet Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supported in his later years. Through her parents’ experiences and her own, she knew the turmoil that polygamy could cause. She would later take up the mantle opposing the practice of plural marriages, leaving behind nearly everything she knew and held dear, including her faith. Ann Eliza was a hero to some, and to others a spiteful and vengeful ex-wife. Regardless, her story is one that played a part in the passage of stronger anti-bigamy laws. The LDS Church itself underwent major changes, barring the practice as well.

The switch in practice and doctrine led to a splintering of the Church. Small groups of people who supported and believed that the practice of plural marriages was divined by God, broke off from the LDS Church, forming their own groups. Polygamy still exists today. This leads to Jordan Scott’s story. He is a lost boy, abandoned by his mother on the side of the road when he was 14 years old by orders of the Prophet. He grew up in an isolated Utah community. His mother was the 19th wife of a well-respected man in the community of Mesadale. Now an adult and living in California, Jordan is sure he will never see his mother again.

However, when word reaches Jordan that his mother has been arrested for his father’s murder, Jordan decides to return to the place he despises the most. He packs his bags, jumps in his van, joined by his faithful companion, Elecktra and heads to Utah. He is not sure what he will do, but after meeting with his mother and talking with her attorney, he decides to look into the murder himself. To do this, Jordan must face his past.

The two stories run parallel throughout the book, hints of connection appearing here and there. The author brings the stories together in a creative and unexpected way. The format of the book reminded me a little of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, written in narrative, book excerpts, articles, letters and even a Wikipedia entry. In interviews, the author has stated that he wanted to allow the voices of the varying experiences and opinions to be heard on the subject of polygamy—and it worked, although the case against it is perhaps the strongest of all.

I would be hard pressed to tell you which of the two stories I was most taken with. In the beginning, I was most drawn to Jordan’s story. He was a castaway who had not only endured a difficult childhood, but also had been forced to grow up too quickly. I have read and heard horror stories of real life children thrust into Jordan’s situation, excommunicated by their religious leaders and left to fend for themselves. My heart went out to Jordan and for Johnny, a boy Jordan befriends along the way.

And yet, Ann Eliza’s story also captivated me, especially once she took center stage in her own story. In the novel, she comes across as a strong woman who certainly had her weaknesses, but she also knew her own mind. I admire her courage in standing up for what she believed. I cannot even imagine what it must have been like for her, to let go of the life and faith that made up her world–the only one she had ever known.

Jordan and Ann Eliza were just two of the amazing characters in The 19th Wife. The novel was full of interesting characters, each of them complex. I only wish I had more time to spend with some of the more minor ones. Jordan’s mother was one such character, a 19th wife who is facing charges of murder. Despite her circumstances, she stands resolute in her faith. Then there was Tom, excommunicated from the LDS church because of his homosexuality, and Kelly Dee, a college student at Brigham Young University, whose heart is not only in the right place, but is someone who is actually doing something to right the wrongs of the past.

There is so much to this book; so much I would like to say. While the subject of polygamy is perhaps the overreaching subject of the novel, it is the personal stories which truly make this novel what it is. I highly recommend David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife.

To learn more about Ann Eliza Young, check out her two autobiographies: Wife No. 19 (1875) and Life in Mormon Bondage (1908).

Rating: (Very Good)

Like many of my generation I did not go to war gravely and soberly, as Lao-tzu tells us a wise man ought. But I returned from it that way. [pg 285]

Killing Rommel by Steven Pressfield
Doubleday, 2008
Fiction; 295 pgs

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was one of the most respected generals of his time, not only by those who served under him but also by his enemies. He was a gentleman even in battle. He thought nothing of fighting on the front lines with his men and showing his enemy mercy and respect. He was a force to be reckoned with, however, and his advances in the north and east African desert made him one of the biggest threats to the Allied Forces during the Second World War. In an effort to turn the tide of the war, the Allies targeted Rommel for death, hoping to loosen the grip of the Axis forces on the area. The British Long Range Desert Group, a special forces unit, played a major role in the attempt on Rommel’s life, getting behind enemy lines in an effort to gather intel on the enemy as well as to gain an advantage on them.

Author Steven Pressfield uses this time in history as the setting for his latest novel, Killing Rommel. R. Lawrence Chapman was a young academic when World War II broke out. He had lost his mother at an early age and spent much of his later schooling in boarding school before moving on to Oxford University. In September of 1942, Chapman was eager to join his countrymen on the battlefield and enlisted with the Armoured Division, where he was assigned as a tank officer. He would later be assigned to assist the Long Range Desert Group who was tasked with killing the Desert Fox, Field Marshall Rommel.

Chapman sets out to put his story in writing, recording his experiences during the war. Written from the perspective of a soldier, the novel at times may seem dry with the technical details of equipment, strategy and tactics. And yet such descriptions add an authenticity to the story as well as to the main character, Chapman. Through Chapman’s narrative, the reader is able to get a feel for the different characters in the book and to get a taste for just how difficult the conditions they were facing were.

Steven Pressfield has created a novel that is full of heart while at the same time painting a realistic picture of the war. The African desert is a harsh and dangerous landscape. The sweltering heat, sandstorms and flash floods only complicated matters. In addition, the soldiers had to make do with poor equipment that must be repaired on site with makeshift solutions and ensure that they had enough fuel for traveling long distances across the desert or else risk getting stranded or worse.

Chapman discovered that life with the Long Range Desert Group was much different from that in the regular rank and file. Everyone, regardless of rank, pitched in with even the most menial of tasks. Strong bonds developed between the men as they fought alongside each other. They would risk life and limb if it would save their brothers in arms. The missions were top secret and communication with the outside world was limited. Chapman went for long periods of time without word to his pregnant wife, and she without knowledge about him. I can only imagine how much the two worried about each other when they let themselves. Mostly, however, I think that Chapman stayed focused on the task at hand, on his survival, and immediate events. Not to could have proven deadly not only for him but also for those around him.

There were a few times as I was reading this book that I literally held my breath and read as fast as I could, afraid at what might happen as Chapman and his fellow soldiers fought to survive, sometimes fleeing for their lives. The next moment, my eyes would well up with tears at the loss of a life or a particularly touching moment between the men. I got to know the men through reading about their experiences. It was impossible not to grow attached. Chapman thought of himself as an ordinary man–and he was in many respects–but he proved himself extraordinary in midst of battle. He struggled with the morality of war, with the frustrations of being a soldier and his doubts about his leadership abilities. He cared about his fellow man, including those he fought against. He was not so different from Rommel in that respect.

Steven Pressfield has written a compelling novel that has left quite an impression on me. My father is a war veteran as was my grandfather. While they may not have faced the same dangers as the real life Chapmans and Steins, they did have their own battles to fight. As I finished reading Killing Rommel, tears running down my cheeks, I could not help but think of them and how they, too, were just ordinary men put into extraordinary circumstances.

Guess what my father is getting for Father’s Day this year.

Rating: (Very Good +)

Miscellaneous: For those interested in the book or even the time period, I highly recommend you check out the author’s website. The author presents a mini documentary, setting the stage for his book, which is not only informative but also very well put together. I watched the long version, and it sold me on the book.

Review book provided by Anna Jarzab from Authors on the Web.