The world has long admired the iconic bust of the Mitanni princess who became a queen of Egypt. Her image has stood the test of time as all that was beautiful in ancient Egypt but very little factual information is available about the woman named Nefertiti, whose name meant "the beauty that has come". In Nefertiti, author Michelle Moran takes a brave step for her first novel in attempting to recreate the life of this elusive queen, and the sister who stood behind her every step of the way.
The book is written from the viewpoint of Mutnodjmet, Nefertiti's younger half-sister. The sisters are separated by two years. They share the same father but Nefertiti's mother was a Mitanni princess. Their father is a highly placed vizier to the Pharaoh and he is the brother to Queen Tiye. After the untimely death of Tuthmosis, the Pharaoh's heir, Amunhotep rises in his place. Tiye chooses Nefertiti to be his Chief Wife, hoping that she will be a restraining force against him. Mutnodjmet will travel with Nefertiti as helpmate, lady-in-waiting, everything her sister needs. She will eventually become known throughout the court as "Sister to the King's Chief Wife".
Mutnodjmet has no desire to be any of these things though. Her knowledge of herblore is extensive and she finds happiness in doling out potions and powders to the people who come to her for help. As she watches Nefertiti fighting a battle of wills with the King's second wife, Kiya, for control of the King's heart and as Nefertiti begins to bear the first of many daughters for the King, Mutnodjmet grows envious. She wishes for a husband and children of her own but when she broaches the subject with her sister she is told that she needs no one else. She has need of no other love then her sister's. Mutnodjmet knows that as long as Nefertiti is queen, she will never be free. When Mutnodjmet falls in love, and into the arms, of General Nahktmin, it causes a division between the sisters that mirrors the growing division in Egypt. Will the two women be strong enough to work through their differences in order to save the country that has been torn apart by the religious wars of a mad king?
This is an amazing book for a first-time effort. The author has a woven a believable story out of the rough bit and pieces that are available about this particular part of history. Not much is known about Mutnodjmet beyond her status as a family member. Her appearance in family paintings and sculpture is often shown with Nefertiti's daughters, or in one painting in Amarna where she is set away from the rest of the family. The idea that she was unwillingly part of the political intrigue could easily be drawn from this. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was drawn in almost instantly. This book is definitely a must for fans of Egyptian history and historical fiction.
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Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (July 10, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307381463
ISBN-13: 978-0307381460
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