Mara, Daughter of the Nile (Puffin Story Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Eloise Jarvis McGraw (Author) "NEKONKH, captain of the Nile boat Silver Beetle, paused for the fiftieth time beside his vessel's high beaked prow and shaded his eyes to peer..." (more)
Key Phrases: royal cobra, lotus garden, Lord Sheftu, Count Senmut, Silver Beetle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (October 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140319298
• ISBN-13: 978-0140319293
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (167 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,948 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #5 in	Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Ancient Civilizations
  #18 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Royalty
  #26 in	Books > Teens > History & Historical Fiction > Historical Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New generation of readers, meet Mara!, April 11, 2003

By	Susan E. Wood "Susan" (Rochester, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I was in junior high school, I read this book and loved it. In fact, I read it over and over, and recently sent a copy to my niece as a 12th birthday gift. Mara, the spunky 17-year-old slave girl, is a wonderful role model for adolescent girls: far from perfect (in fact, rather devious), but brave and eventually quite heroic as she risks death rather than betray the people and ideals that she loves. I'm not entirely happy with the fact that Queen Hatshepsut, another feminist heroine of mine, was the villain of this novel. For the record, the real Hatshepsut ruled Egypt for many years of peace and prosperity, and as far as we know, died peacefully of old age. Her stepson (NOT her brother) Thutmose then destroyed her statues and inscriptions in a fit of petulant pique, but did not overthrow her.

Still, who cares? This version makes a wonderful, swashbuckling story, and also provides an excellent introduction to the culture of ancient Egypt for kids who are curious about its history.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mara brings Ancient Egypt to life!, March 28, 2000

By	Katherine Mann (Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mara is a wonderful heroine for young girls. Set in the time of Hatshepsut, Pharoah of Egypt, this small novel brings to life a distant era with remarkable clarity. McGraw has crafted her vision of the period around an exciting palace intrigue. The character of Mara, a young slave girl, is an excellent example for young women and it is remarkable to find in a book that was written in the 1950s. If you know a young woman of 9 to 14, give her this book.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read - how fortunate that it is still in print after all these years! I first encountered this excellent novel in 1961. I read it at least 20 times. I was too poor to purchase, so I copied the book out in about 10 school scribblers. True! When my daughter was 10, I bought a copy for her and another for myself.

McGraw's interpretation of the era can easily be faulted, but her sense of "Egypt" cannot. This book sent me on an investigative journey into the subject of Egyptology that has been a distinct pleasure all my life. I highly recommend this wonderful tale.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enchanting introduction to the ancient world, October 23, 2004

By	Rebecca East - See all my reviews

This was the first novel I ever read (when I was 12) that transported me to the ancient world. I loved it so much that, many years later, I still have a copy of it on my bookshelf. Mara is a terrific heroine: courageous, imaginative, adventurous, and self confident. However, she also has the ability to be deceptive when she needs to be in order to survive. Because of her gift for languages, Mara is bought out of slavery to serve as interpreter between pharoah Hatshepsut's brother Thutmose and his betrothed, an unhappy Babylonian princess. She is supposed to be a spy on behalf of Hatshepsut's supporters, but circumstances force her to become a double agent, who also reports to Thutmose. This places her in the center of dangerous court intrigues. The story combines vivid historical detail, engaging characters, suspenseful adventures, and a touching love story. Although it was written for a young adult audience, adult readers can also find this very enjoyable. I agree with other reviewers: this would make a wonderful movie!