Lady of the Reeds (The Hera Series)

Rating:
Summary: Vivid historical detail and a rousing good story
Review: Narrated by a rural peasant girl, Thu, Gedge's Egyptian historical transports the reader to the reign of Ramses III, a time of decline and priestly corruption. Far from the intrigue and politics of the court, Thu schemes to escape her dusty village, enlivening the monotony with fantasies in which her Libu mercenary father is actually a prince in exile.

She convinces her brother to teach her to read and when a great seer visits the village she swims out to his elegant barge and offers herself - all she owns of value - for a glimpse of the future. In an eerie scene aboard the dark barge the seer, Hui, spurns the coarse peasant smelling of river mud. But he finds himself as intrigued by Thu's strange blue eyes as she is repulsed by his albino white skin and dazzled by the luxury that surrounds him. He has seen her face in a vision, he tells Thu, their fates are intertwined.

Hui takes Thu back with him to Pharaoh's court where she is confined to Hui's estate for months while he has her softened, polished and trained as a lady while indoctrinating her in history, politics, writing and medicine. Thu's rigorous training provides a detailed, colorful portrait of Egyptian life while illustrating the vast gulf between the peasant and even minor nobility.

Meanwhile Thu's initial jubilation gives way to boredom and jealousy. She wants more. When a favored servant stands in her way, Thu exhibits a ruthless streak which escapes her control. But fortune still favors her and she finds herself moving from Hui's house to the Pharaoh's harem. Although it's not all she hoped for, Thu perseveres and becomes the Pharaoh's favorite - at the same time advancing Hui's political goals.

Gedge's fine, understated prose allows the story to tell itself. Although Thu is the narrator, she is not always in full possession of the whole picture. A complex character of intelligence and ambition, Thu tends to overestimate her irresistible charms and keen mind. She is calculating and naive, scheming and schemed against, childlike in her quick sorrows and regrets and impulsive in her cruelties.

Gedge's novel is a multi-layered story of intrigue, Egyptian decline, and the personal choices that make up a destiny. The author's vivid, seamless prose brings to life the teeming activity of the Nile, the merciless heat of the sun, the hot house perfume of the gardens of the wealthy and the dust of impoverished villages. Gedge seems almost to have lived herself in that glittering bygone world of vengeful gods and fabulous feasts where the height of whimsical fashion is a perfumed cone of fat, slowly dripping down an elaborately coiffed wig at a state dinner.

This is a historical novel for those who want something richer than the formula of feisty heroine and stormy romance - a novel that is powerfully atmospheric and unexpectedly poignant.

Rating:
Summary: Gedge brings Ancient Egypt to Glorious Life Again
Review: Since I was 13, and read Child of the Morning, Pauline Gedge has been my favourite author. Now, nearly 20 years later, she continues to dazzle with Lady Of The Reeds (or House of Dreams in Canada). When I read her words, I can feel the heat of the sun and the breezes off the Nile; smell the sandlewood and jasmine; see the palaces, villages, and homes of the people she writes about. I loved this book and sequel with a fierce passion - for 4 days this summer I did not move off the deck, while I read them both. Thu may have been written as a character whose own character is less than lovable, but she charms you so completely that you really care about what happens to her, and hope that everything works out well. She is the perfect anti-heroine who proves that it's not just men who can be rather unlikeable and still have us cheering for them. It has never been acceptable for a woman to be seen in that light. Heroines have always had to be lily-white paragons of such virtues as kindness, gentleness, and are most certainly not allowed any ambition. Thu defies all those stereotypes, and makes us love her for it. I say Bravo! Ms. Gedge, and I only wish there could be more books about the fabulous Thu!

Rating:
Summary: Peasant, girlThu, rises through the Ranks to Kings Concubine
Review: This extremely well-written prose by Pauline Gedge was a pleasure and delight to read. The writer's technique of using the English language to describe ancient egypt and events in this book is astounding! The peasant, Thu, growing up with her poor egyptian family, has high dreams for herself & is not content to be a mere "woman" in egyptian society or a midwife as her mother before her. She attains her dreams after all, but not in the way she would hope. She rises up from a life of poverty on her parents farm in the Delta through the help and mystery of the Seer, Hui, a strange, magical, man with long white hair and red piercing eyes. She befriends him, eventually loves him like a father, & leaves her home to take on several exciting, interesting and intriguing phases of her life before finally, realizing she is all along being prepared for a special mission in life. Partially by design and partially by deception by the people she loves, she attains royal residence as a concubine of the Pharaoh. She finds this submissive, royal, life unaccepting for a beautiful young woman, just being one of many favored by Pharaoh. The book is intriguing until the end and I would recommend this book highly. This is my first Pauline Gedge novel and I will now read all of them!