Editorial note: I received a copy of this novel in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is an adventurous tale about a woman searching for the truth about a misunderstood female pharaoh.
Fiona Davis is a master at crafting engaging, and original historical fiction stories. She primarily uses New York City as a backdrop. However, The Stolen Queen also features a significant time in Egypt in both the ’30s and ’70s, which was quite interesting to read.
I find Egyptian history fascinating, and I have enjoyed novels that cover the field of Egyptology such as The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. So I was quite excited to check out The Stolen Queen. And this novel is fantastic. It features plenty of historical elements, but there are also several mysteries to uncover, and quite a bit of heart and emotion in this story too.
What’s the Story About
The story is mainly set in 1936 Egypt and New York City in 1978, but there’s also a return to Egypt in ’78 as well. We follow Charlotte when she’s nineteen years old and is offered a spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. There, she helps uncover forgotten and unknown history, and she also falls in love. But after unimaginable tragedy, Charlotte vows never to return again.
New York City in 1978 is a complicated time for nineteen-year-old Annie as she’s trying to find her footing in life. She is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala.
Charlotte is now working as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art. She’s consumed by her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.
The night of the gala: One of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing. Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, and a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.
Charlotte and Annie’s Respective Journeys
While Annie is energetic, Charlotte is now in her 50s and quite jaded by painful experiences of her past. I really enjoyed when the two work together.
Reading about 1930s Egypt was so fascinating, I could have read even more about that time frame. Fiona Davis really painted an image of what it was like to work in those conditions and find these artifacts of forgotten history. I enjoyed the scenes when Charlotte defended her work, when other men were trying to take credit. She was definitely a force in this book.
And for Annie, her mother is emotionally unavailable, and Annie herself is responsible for the rent money, and overall having to grow up too fast. When she gets this great chance to work at the Met, it could turn everything around for her. But she’s young and new to this type of work, and any mistake is costly.
I felt we got to know each character very well, and understand their motivations and their behavior. There’s a lot of tragedy with Charlotte’s history, but also an opportunity at a second chance.
Ancient Artifacts
I love going to all kinds of museums and seeing ancient artifacts and artwork. But to be honest, I never gave much thought to how the museums obtain the art. And especially if the artwork is not of the country— is it ethical to showcase there when it could instead display at the home country? That’s not something I’ve considered much, and this novel does raise the question.
It also considers multiple viewpoints on the matter, and demonstrates is it is quite complicated. For instance, showcasing a piece at the Met will guarantee it will be viewed by so many, but it also means others who aren’t able to visit New York may never see it. But say a super wealthy individual owns it and has it for personal use, no one really gets to see it other than the owner and their friends. Like Indiana Jones says, “it belongs in a museum!” But also which one?
It was very interesting to read about that topic and quite thought-provoking.
Verdict
Wonderful novel all around. This is quite a vivid story, and you really do feel like you’re swept to an archeological dig in Egypt to the Met Gala in 1978. The Stolen Queen is a transportive story, and makes you think about so much, including art, ancient artifacts, and repatriation. It also focuses on strong feminist themes, as well as some art, and fashion.
The historical details are quite intriguing as well as the two great protagonists on their own individual journeys. There’s quite a bit of depth with relationships, and past mistakes, and overcoming tragedy. Plus, there’s also some mystery and adventure in this tale. And the discussion of repatriation is one that will generate discussion for sure.
Highly recommend! For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
