Kara Cooney called
her book, The Woman Who Would be King, a social history
because she takes the liberty of imagining what Hatshepstu thought
and felt. The book isn't fiction. It's a well researched narrative
about the reign of a remarkable woman by an Egyptologist who has
studied the period extensively.
A woman pharaoh was
unknown in Egypt before Hatshepsut. Other women had ruled for more or
less extensive periods of time as regents; however, she ruled as the
senior pharaoh with her stepson, Thutmose III, for twenty-two years.
The period of their joint reign was marked by prosperity and
extensive influence in the ancient world. There is no indication that
she denied power to Thutmose III, rather it appears that they had a
mutually agreeable arrangement.
In addition to the
portrait of Hatshepsut, Cooney gives a detailed picture of what life
was like for a royal princess. It reads almost like a good novel and
enhances our understanding of Hatshepsut without taking liberties
with her thoughts or feelings.
I thought Cooney did
an excellent job of pointing out where she was taking liberties with
the historical record. Her ideas about Hatshepsut's inner life make
the book more readable, but she also gives the reader a chance to
view the facts. The book has extensive notes that allow the
interested reader to go more in depth and to test Cooney's
conclusions.
I highly recommend
this book if you enjoy reading about ancient Egypt. It's very well
written. The pace is good. You may find it hard to put down.
I reviewed this book
for Blogging for Books.
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