I've had a book on my mind for the last several months and could not for the life of me recall the name or the author. The problem was, I had originally read the book in the mid-1980's while I was in high school. The book captured me so much I ignored the boyfriend I couldn't wait to get and ditched my bff's slumber party (which was hijacked by some neighbor boys who actually tossed stones at their window just like in Grease)- but I didn't care. A book had totally captured my interest and nothing else at the moment seemed to compare.
Recently, I was thinking about that book and asking others around me if they recalled reading a historical fiction book about a young Egyptian girl destined to be a Queen. The response was a lot of blank looks. I almost asked on this blog if anyone could help me locate this book or even find a title and author but I had so little information I didn't ask.
This morning I was determined to find SOMETHING to help me find this book. I was going to GOOGLE till my fingertips were worn down to stubs if I had to. This book is just in my head and I can't seem to forget it. All I recalled was that it was the life a young Egyptian princess destined to be Queen. That's it! I didn't know when it was published, the author, not even the title, just that it was about the Egyptian girl and it was a thick book.
So I began GOOGLING... I tried all sorts of things Egyptian until finally...like the clouds parted and sunbeams came down from heaven I found it (I think)!
The Lost Queen of Egypt -Morrison, Lucile
"In the city of Akhenaten lived a princess who from early childhood knew herself destined to share a throne. Ankhsenamon’s efforts to save her kingdom from designing priests and soldiers were gallant and dramatic. The actual fate of this girl queen is unknown. An extraordinarily accurate and vivid picture of domestic and court life of ancient Egypt."I say "I think" because the copy I read was thick and a novel for high schoolers and up, but it was the story of Ankhsenamon and her efforts (lots of them) to save her kingdom. She was smart and had wisdom beyond her years. A great story. What I found on this story is that some people refer to this as a younger child's story, while others talk of the hardcover edition I recall reading. Since the book is no longer in print and none of us seem to be able to get our hands on it, it's still a bit iffy whether or not I've found the correct copy - but I'm not giving up!
Funny thing is... I am not the only one going NUTS to friggin find this book!! Just look at what
others on Amazon are saying about "The Lost Queen of Egypt" by Lucile Morrison...
By A Customer
When I was a girl, there were four library books that brought ancient Egypt to life for me: Boy of the Pyramids, Mara, Daughter of the Nile; The Golden Goblet, and The Lost Queen of Egypt. I've managed to obtain used copies of the first three, but I'm still looking for this one. Those readers who, like myself, have not seen a copy in years, might wish to see a copy of The Murder of Tutankhamen: a True Story by Bob Brier. I can't speak for the paperback version because I own the hardcover, but the hardcover reproduces the same portrait of Ankhesenamen that was in The Lost Queen of Egypt. Until then I'd had only a pale photocopy I'd made over 20 years ago. Other fans of this book may understand how I felt as if I'd found an old friend when I saw that painting in color again. It was as lovely as ever. I wish J.B. Lippincott Company would reprint the book. Ann E. Nichols
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By Brenda Parrish
I have to laugh at myself. For years I thought that I was the only person who had ever heard of this book. I couldn't find it in any of our local libraries; not even in the library of the elementary school I attended when I first read it (about forty years ago). It was out of print, so I couldn't order my own copy (and, yes, I did try), nor could I find a copy in second hand book stores, flea markets or garage sales.
Imagine my surprise when I found all of these reviews! So I wasn't the only person who had read and loved this book!
Thanks to the Internet, I now own my own copy. How I treasure that book! And, golly, how sad that there are so few remaining copies of it. I vote, along with the rest of you, that it's time for a reprint. It's a wonderful story (and historically accurate, for the most part). I'd recommend it for any child who is even remotely interested in Egypt---but especially for those who might like a glimspe of what it was like to be a child in ancient Egypt...and grow up to be a queen or king. Ahhh. It's the stuff that dreams are made of!
[Lord help the person, though, who tries to read this book aloud. You'll end up giving all of the characters nicknames by the end of the first chapter, if not before. This is allowed, however. Folks have been calling Tutankhamon "King Tut" for a long, long time.]
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By A Customer
I've been trying to get a copy of this book for years. Years. Like many other reviewers, I read and loved it as a child - and it left me with a lasting interest not only in ancient Egypt but in archeology as a whole. Isn't it about time that the publisher/copyright holder be told that there would be a considerable market for a reissue!
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So I have to ask... have any of you read this book?? Did it grab you like it did me so that more than 20 years later I am still thinking about it and wanting to read it again? If not this book, has another book you read as a teen stuck with you through the years? Which one?
Welcome to March Menage Month on the Moonlight to Twilight Blog!!
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Got a mish-mash of things today.
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