genre: historical mystery
This is a story told in two time periods - and in two very different worlds. In the 1930s, Charlotte Cross's obsession with Egypt led her to get a dream summer job, working in the desert tombs, learning everything she can about the Pharaohs and the time when they lived.
By 1978, Charlotte has a job at the Met, still obsessed with Egypt but now, a tragedy has kept her from ever returning to Egypt. When a rare artifact unexpectedly turns up, it sends Charlotte into a tailspin of her own past and brings up huge questions that can change everything she thought she knew.
Charlotte's story is told in alternating chapters with the story of Annie, a young women who loves fashion and dreams of a life for herself outside of her tiny, fingers-to-the-bone life. A chance encounter leads to her own open to the Met, but not in a way she ever could've imagined. The way Charlotte's life intersects with Annie's and the mystery that wraps up them both, whether they want it to or not, is at the heart of this story of those who love art and discovery - and of women who know how to follow a hunch and take a chance.
This was engaging from the start! I also have spent my life obsessed with history and with a deep longing to know more about ancient Egypt, so the story caught me on an intrinsic level. I like that the strong women here want to make sure that other strong women get the acknowledgement they deserve and the storylines wove together in a way that made sense. The writing didn't blow me away but several major plot points caught me by surprise and by the end, I was ready to believe it all.
Do I want to go travel to Egypt now? Yes. Yes I do.
No comments:
Post a Comment