Book Reviews (3)

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

By Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance

Plot: The tale of a slave girl who, through many adventures and hardships, finds love and freedom.

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*warning- spoiler alert!*

Though Mara was a slave girl, she looked more like a queen, with her stately bearing and bright blue eyes. She was quick witted, being able to speak two languages, and both read and write egyptian.

Mara was clever, but she was also selfish. Other people were of little importance to her. Her life of hardship and neglect had taught her the message she constantly reminded herself of: “take care of yourself, my girl.  No one else will.”  Her master often beat her unmercifully, but she had an unbreakable spirit, and remained fiercely defiant of her rights.

Then one day, after an escapade in the town square where she cleverly filched some bread from a baker’s boy,  Mara was unexpectedly bought from her cruel owner.

At this time, Queen Hatshepsut was ruling Egypt.  McGraw was obviously of the opinion that she was a terrible ruler -selfish, cruel, and wrapped up in her own affairs, instead of taking care of her country.  There were many people who disliked “His Majesty Herself,” and would be glad to get rid of her, and put the rightful heir, Thutmose the III, back on the throne.

Mara’s new master was an agent of the queen, who was trying to find and destroy one association of people in particular who were planning a rebellion.  He needed a clever young slave to work for him, and, after seeing her cleverness with the baker boy, had decided on Mara.

With a heavy gold chain in her fingers and the promise of rewards ringing in her ears,  visions of palaces, riches, and most of all freedom floated before Mara’s eyes, and she agreed to go to Thebes to act as an interpreter, and thus gain information.  If she were to give anything away, or use the gold to her own advantage, her death was assured.

Throughout the tale, Mara had many difficulties to overcome.  Her quick mind, combined with a tongue untainted by the rule “thou shalt not lie” meat that she could always weasel her way out of sticky situations.  No-one had ever been able to match her skill... and then she met Sheftu.

Mara had known the mysterious and charming Sheftu for a few days when she found out that  was a member of the very organization she was supposed to be putting an end to.  Always one step ahead, Sheftu (who believed her to be an escaped slave) employed her to work for him!  Now a double agent, Mara decided that instead of betraying Sheftu, she would play the game of both masters.

As the storyline continues to twist and turn, Mara befriended many who were in league with Thutmose, such as Sheftu’s old nurse, and my especial pet, Nekonkh the riverman.  Slowly, Mara began to love the people of her nation, and to believe in Sheftu’s scheme- for Egypt was falling to pieces under the reign of Hatshepsut. And most of all, Mara realized she loved Sheftu.

Then one terrible night Mara’s double nature was discovered, and she was captured by Hatshepsut. Even with promises of her lifelong wishes, freedom and riches, Mara chose to endure terrible torture rather than give her friends away, and proved herself truly worthy of Sheftu’s love.

Book Reviews (2)

The Journey of the Eldest Son

Written by J.G Fyson

A sequel to Three Brothers of Ur, The Journey of the Eldest Son follows the story of fourteen-year-old Shamashazir, who leaves his home in the city of Ur to travel with his cousin Serag.  Weighing heavily on Shamashazir’s conscience is the fact that his brother Haran had broken the sacred image of the family teraphim, and had then stuck it back together with porridge.  Shamashazir wondered what woes would befall his family.

But despite his troubles, Shamashazir is enjoying the journey, and all is going well.  Then one morning, disaster strikes when Shamashazir takes an early walk high in the cliffs by himself and disappears...

Thinking that his cousin is dead, Serag and his company continue on alone, Serag with a heart that is heavy not only for his cousin, but also because he does not know what Shamashazir’s father will do to him when he hears that his son is dead.  

But Shamashazir is not dead.  He was found by the tribe of Enoch, which had once been great, until most of them were killed in battle.  They taught him about the Great Spirit, who is more wonderful and more powerful than any other god.  Shamashazir soon became friends with these suspicious yet kind people, especially the animal-loving Sam, the hunter Eb and the Ishak* of the tribe, Enoch. However, he didn’t find it so easy to befriend the Ishak’s proud son, also named Enoch.  Enoch son of Enoch thought of Shamashazir as a heathen, and an enemy to the Great Spirit.  

But Shamashazir and the tribe of Enoch journey together, they begin to see more of the heart of the Great Spirit - his love and forgiveness, even towards the cursed tribe of Cain, the first murderer.   

My Thoughts:

The Journey of the Eldest Son was a very interesting and thought-provoking book.  Fyson has a gift for making history come alive - though the story was set around 4,000 years ago; somehow it feels like it could have happened yesterday.  A note at the end says that Shamashazir is actually the author’s name for Abraham.  The book is not based on real events, and some of it is a little sketchy as to biblical soundness, but overall I felt that Fyson has respect for God.

I give it four stars.

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*Chief

Book Reviews (1)

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

Written by Maria Augusta Trapp

Maria was perhaps the worst behaved novice at Nonnberg Abbey.   

She slid down the banisters, whistled in the hall and was always late.   So when she was summoned to see the Abbess Mother, Maria expected that she was in trouble.  But she was not prepared for what came. The Abbess asked Maria to leave the Abbey for nine months as a tutor.  Her pupil was to be the daughter of a Baron, Captain Georg von Trapp.

Maria didn’t want to leave her beloved Abbey.  But the Abbess Mother insisted; so she summoned up all her courage and headed away to meet the Captain and his seven children.  

In the past, Captain von Trapp had been in the Austrian Navy as a submarine pilot.  He became quite famous because of his great skill and daring. He was even awarded the Empress Maria Theresia medal!*

When the Captain’s wife died, leaving him seven children, he left the Navy and settled down. His plentiful supply of money meant that he did not need to work.

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When Maria met Captain von Trapp for the first time, she was surprised. He was not anything like she had imagined- tall and bearded and rough, since, after all, that is what sea captains look like.  But Georg could hardly be described as tall, and his kindly face was beardless.

Maria soon got to know all the Captain’s children, especially her new pupil.  The girl was so ill that she had to be confined to her room; and was therefore unable to attend school.

Maria was shocked to find that the children never sang.  So she taught them.
At night, around the fire, they would all sing together. The air was filled with Austrian folk songs, hymns, carols and many more beautiful songs. Eventually, Captain von Trapp joined them, and many a happy evening was spent gathered around the fire, Maria with her guitar and the children with their voices.  The children all grew to love Maria.  They were not the only ones.



When Maria had heard that George would, most likely, soon be engaged to a princess, she was overjoyed.  She knew the children needed a mother. And when the Captain went to visit  princess Yvonne (not for the first time),  everyone (especially Maria) supposed that this was “the” visit.  Then Georg sent Maria a letter, which mentioned “...I wish I could see your eyes when you read the announcement of my engagement.”  Maria was furious!  She sent back a fiery letter saying “My eyes are none of your business!”  

At the time the Captain received the letter, he was walking in the garden with princess Yvonne, and just on the verge of proposing.  But after he read the letter, he knew he could not marry Yvonne.  Captain von Trapp loved Maria.
Meanwhile, Maria was stricken with guilt at her hasty letter, and was wishing fervently that she had never sent it.

A few weeks past.  The Captain came home, and everyone was busy and happy.  Maria was happily unaware of George’s feelings towards her.  She was also unaware that the children had decided the two should marry. And since nothing was happening, the children devised a plan.  While Maria was distracted, they crept into their father’s office, and asked if he loved Maria.  He replied that yes, he did love her, but he doubted that the feeling was mutual.  So the naughty children went and demanded of the preoccupied Maria whether or not she liked the Captain. Naturally, Maria said that she did.  Back to the office rushed the children to tell their father that Maria said she did love him.

So when the Captain came out of his office and asked if what the children said was true, she was shocked!  Never had she suspected such a thing.  Without so much as a goodbye, she left for the Abbey.  Maria did not want to marry; she wanted to be a nun.  And yet...

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The story goes on to tell how Maria was convinced by the Abbess Mother to marry Captain von Trapp, and how they shared many wonderful, peaceful years together in Austria.  But their life changed forever when their bank went broke and the Captain lost all his money. It then took another turn when the Germans invaded Austria, and the von Trapp family had to flee to America.  There they began a new life, and also their family choir, the Trapp Family Singers.  Maria had three children of her own.  

My thoughts:

This book was a interesting and heartwarming autobiography.  Maria was a Catholic, and I could really sense her genuine love for God.  You can see Maria grow from a fun and mischief filled young woman into a wise and kind mother.  Three and a half stars.

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*This medal is only awarded if the recipient has shown extraordinary bravery at his own initiative, sometimes even against orders.