Orphan of the Sun [Paperback]

Gill Harvey (Author)

Book Description

Thirteen-year-old orphan Meryt-Re lives with her aunt's family in the ancient Egyptian village of Set Maat, home of the pharaohs' tomb builders. When her uncle pressurises her to marry a dull stonecutter, she resists, and begs for guidance from the gods - but she's unable to decipher the message behind her vivid dreams. Then her cousin falls gravely ill, and Meryt's uncle, believing her to have turned the gods against him, banishes her from his house. Other strange and suspicious activities are going on in the village, and there is unrest among the tomb workers. But it is not until she meets the village wise woman that Meryt can begin to unravel the meaning of her dreams and solve the mysteries surrounding her. A romantic and pacy thriller that brings ancient Egypt to life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—In ancient Egypt, where the gods and magic rule peoples' lives, 13-year-old Meryt-Re rejects her uncle's assertion that she is under the power of Sekhmet, bringing pestilence and destruction to those around her. Still, her cousin's circumcision becomes infected and he comes close to death; and there is trouble in town where a worker is making increasingly serious accusations against his foreman, the father of her best friend. Thrown out of her uncle's home, Meryt-Re eventually finds refuge with the town Wise Woman, who helps her make sense of her psychic dreams and bring healing to her community as well as to her family. Full of details of daily life in an artisan town exclusively devoted to building royal tombs, the story plunges readers into a very different political and social world. Meryt-Re's world seems distant, but the author provides some connections: readers will sympathize with her unwillingness to marry someone she doesn't like and the difficulty she has coming to terms with her own powers. Solid historical fiction with special appeal for fans of Egyptian history.—Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. It's good to have a story of Ancient Egypt that deals with ordinary people rather than pharaohs and princesses, but though this debut novel will attract some readers, it has problems, including the fact that the historical research shows. Set in the village of Set Maat, where the king's tomb builders live, the tale focuses on poor, orphaned Meryt-Re, 13, whose uncle blames her for bringing his family trouble. He wants to marry her to a dull stonecutter, who, it turns out, had a special relationship with her dad, whose ghost haunts her aunt, who sends Meryt-Re to live with her best friend, whose family is threatened by a plot to discredit her father--and, well, you get the picture. What is timeless is the young girl's personal struggle with family, friends, and love and how she draws on her intelligence and her dreams to solve the mystery that threatens her community. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books (March 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747579458
• ISBN-13: 978-0747579458
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,329,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A taste of ancient egypt unlike others I've read, January 19, 2008

By 

bhr "birdwoman" (Bryn Mawr, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Orphan of the Sun (Hardcover)

This is a story - a mystery - told from the point of view of an adolescent girl. There are all the best parts of any teenage girl book: growing awareness of self, growing awareness of romance, growing awareness of the world. There are people who, in the words of GWB, misunderestimate Meryt. Meryt is chief among them.

Additionally, there are fantastic details of the world in which Meryt resides. It's not told in a clinical way, though, but instead in so natural a manner that you feel a part of ancient Egypt.

The plot is sufficiently complex and is well developed. The supporting characters are also very well developed, and some you will like, while some you will... not like so much. Meryt, though, is a wonderful character with whom most girls will relate readily.

A great read for a girl - be she 15 or 35.

(*)>

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How does this book have no reviews, March 7, 2007

By 

Thursday Phantom (Middle Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orphan of the Sun (Hardcover)

An orphan girl who grows up in her uncle's house earns a reputation of being under the influence of the gods for seeing a death before it happened. Now there is trouble stirring not only in her home town but also in her uncle's house. Her cousin has fallen sick and her uncle blames her saying she put a spell on him; also she is having strange dreams about the trouble being stirred up in town. Will the rekhet be able to help her interpret her dreams, what is that odd slave girl stealing amulets for, will her uncle force her to marry just to get rid of her, and will her life ever return to normal?
An ineresintg book set in ancient Egypt, I would have given it five stars but I'm sick of school and Egypt.