Customer Reviews

CHILD OF THE MORNING

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Child of the Morning is Pauline Gedge's historical fiction account of the life of Pharoah (or Queen depending on your source) Hatshepsut. In this work, Pauline Gedge recreates the world of Pharoah Thothmoses I, specifically the court where his two children a son, Thothmoses II, and a daughter, Hatshepsut, grow up. As we watch these children grow, it becomes clear that Hatshepsut is suited to rule while her brother is not. There is however a problem. Egypt has never had a female Pharoah. Can she be accepted by the military? The People? The Priesthood? and the Nobility? Or would Egypt prefer a male Pharoah who is not fit to be called a god? How will Thothmoses I deal with the issue of succession and how can he assure that his wishes are carried out?

Child of the Morning is a wonderful book of politics, social commentary and wisdom. It is truly an incredible piece of literature as well as an outstanding character study of the main female character, Hatshepsut. I cannot give this book a higher recommendation and I thank Ms. Gedge each day for writing such an amazing work.

I first read this book almost twenty years ago and have re-read it more times than I count. It is by far my favorite Gedge book. Ms. Gedge brings to stunning life the multi-faceted persona of Hatshepsut, a female monarch who ruled in a man's world with all of the passion and convictions of womankind. The sacrifices this woman endured to bring safety and prosperity to her land are both believable and heartwrenching. If you enjoy reading about ancient Egypt, this book is an absolute must. Ms.Gedge, I have enjoyed all of your writings but this is beyond superb. My interest in this period of history, and subsequentially writing about it, has only intensified over the years because of your own novels...thank you!

Child of the Morning is my "second" Pauline Gedge book. Although it does not compare to Lady of the Reeds, one of her best written books ever, Child of the Morning is excellent. It's written about "what could happen in a woman's wildest dreams when she strives to become "Pharaoh of Egypt". The Hatshepsut character itself is somewhat weak, not portraying to her reader all the intricacies & thoughts of a woman. It does, however, show her undeniable strength as a young girl, woman & warrior pharaoh. The chapter where she actually engages in battle with her generals and army of Egypt against the Nubians is the best chapter of the book. Although some of the novel is likely based on some historical fact relative to her and the priest Senmut, no one will ever know the real truth of the relationship. I would have liked to have seen the 2 characters developed more fully. I highly recommend reading this interesting, historical, book.

This was the first book that introduced me to the works of Pauline Gedge back when I was a freshman in college in 1980. I have read absolutely everything that Pauline Gedge has written since, and it is all nothing less than incredible. I have also read anything and everything that I could get my hands on that was fiction set in ancient Egypt. Everything else pales by comparison. Gedge, far and away has done impeccable research and has painted the most realistic picture of Ancient Egypt in print. No one writing fiction set in this period before or since can match the lush, gilded with gold and intense colour that one finds in her books. "Child of the Morning", which is about Hatshepsut, is a great read, and a wonderful first novel that established her as a writer. I highly recommend!!

Before picking up "Child of the Morning" I had never read anything by Pauline Gedge. Imagine my surprise running into this on a random surf through Amazon! I had never read anything about Hatshepsut (fictionalized), so I bought this right away.

I think I blew through this book in one sitting -- I simply could NOT put it down! The story starts out when Hat is a small girl, and we get to see how her childhood molded who she was, and how she became a strong enough woman to wrestle control of Egypt for herself. We also get to see inside the mind of Senmut, the we'eb priest she promotes as she ascends to power.

There are so many ways that the author could have gone with this book, because alot of Hat's details are lost to time. She could have made her hate her brother (the Pharaoh), could have made her into a man-hater, etc. I absolutely LOVED the way she planned this book out -- it doesn't disappoint in the slightest. The heroine is so likeable and so very real and complex that you'll feel as if you've always known her.

Pauline Gedge has obviously researched her information to a tee, right down to all the major events of the book (trust me, I researched after reading this to find out what was fact and what was fiction). She manages to weave cold, bland facts into a marvellous storytelling that has instantly catapulted Gedge into being my favorite author. No one else comes close!

I realize I'm being gushy, but when people ask me what book I recommend to them, I always wave my copy of this in their faces. Everyone that takes my advice adores it. Trust me when I say it's that good. I re-read it every year and still cry every time. Trust me when I say you'll be a Pauline Gedge fan for life.

As a lover of ancient Egypt, I wanted to read a book that really brought me into the story of the heroic egyptian queen who became the first and only female pharoh. Pauline Gedge is a wonderful historian who paints the most vivid picture of what life, love, power and ambition really is and means. I have read all of her books and this is by far my favorite!!

This was an amazing book. I purchased my copy from the library, because it hadn't been borrowed in quite some time, and they were junking some of their books to make room for new ones. Lucky me.

This book follows the life of Hatshepsut, the queen that became king. It was a great book and very interesting. Hatshepsut is a fantastic character, even in real life. There was certainly a lot to use to make this story wonderful. I just couldn't help but adore faithful Senmut ^-^

Certainly, if you are into Egypt and/or Hatshepsut, this book is a must.

Absolutely loved this. Child of the Morning was the first Pauline Gedge book I read, and I can also highly recommend her other ancient Egyptian fiction. The history is accurate and the novels have all been page-turning reads. For far too long, Nefertiti has always gotten the limelight and it's high time that Hatsepshut has been written about, and Pauline Gedge covered her life superbly.

The life of Hapshepsut has never been written so well (in fiction). Being an Egyptologist, I found this book to have very few errors that would interfere with reading. Anyone bitten by Egyptomania will love this book

This book blew me away. I feel head over heels in love with it. This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire way through it. I now have the worst desire to see her temple. This tale of a powerful woman was inspiring. I just cannot recommend this book enough. Something every woman should read. I wish someone would make this a movie so more people could experience this story.