book data
608 ratings,
4.26
average rating, 122 reviews
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published
October 1st 1985
(first published 1979)
by Puffin
binding
Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages
isbn
0140319298
(isbn13: 9780140319293)
description
The adventures of an ingenious Egyptian slave girl who undertakes a dangerous assignment as a spy in the royal palace of Thebes, in the days when Quee...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 802)
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5 stars (299)
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3 stars (98)
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avg 4.26
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in April, 2008
Mara is a teenaged slave girl in ancient Egypt, but she yearns to spend her days doing something more interesting than ironing and often slips out to explore the town - regardless of the consequences. On one such escapade, the beautiful and quick-witted Mara catches the attention of two rival spymasters, and she soon finds herself under the employ of both.
Clever Mara determines to earn her freedom, and extend her current life of luxury, by playing both sides against the middle until...more
Clever Mara determines to earn her freedom, and extend her current life of luxury, by playing both sides against the middle until...more
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Read in March, 2008
I loved this in junior high and dug it out again for a "light" read -- it's actually more intense than I remembered, but still fun. For being written in 1953, Mara is a surprisingly strong female character, a slave-turned-spy for two opposing masters. She's smart, quick on her feet, speaks Babylonian, plays both sides, and even stands up under torture. The romance novel aspects are the least interesting elements, not because they're particularly silly but just because McGraw's beautifu...more
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I am going to open up my heart to you guys. I read this book when I was, oh, maybe 7 or 8, and it was my favorite book for YEARS. I re-read it countless times. It was the only book from my childhood I brought with me to college. It may have been, in large part, the reason my mom once bought me a t-shirt that said "Kathleen" in - wait for it -HIEROGLYPHICS.
I have no idea if this is actually a good book or not. I loved it so much as a kid that I couldn't possibly give an...more
I have no idea if this is actually a good book or not. I loved it so much as a kid that I couldn't possibly give an...more
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1 comment
Read in December, 2008
I must have read this first in middle school - probably found it by snooping around the historical fiction section of my library. Goodness, I love this book - and this author. If you are a fan of historical fiction, or simply of good stories, you really should look into her other works.
As you can probably guess by the title, this work is set in ancient Egypt. I won't write a synopsis, but I will list a few of the things this book features in case you're considering giving it a try...more
As you can probably guess by the title, this work is set in ancient Egypt. I won't write a synopsis, but I will list a few of the things this book features in case you're considering giving it a try...more
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I've read this book many times. Now I'm reading it aloud to my significant other. It's a fun story about a slave in Egypt torn between serving one man loyal to the female pharaoh and another man who leads the resistance to put the pharaoh's stepson on the throne.
Since the last time I read it, there has been more discovered about Hatshepsut. It was once thought that she usurped the power of the throne and kept her young stepson from claiming the throne maliciously. More current a...more
Since the last time I read it, there has been more discovered about Hatshepsut. It was once thought that she usurped the power of the throne and kept her young stepson from claiming the throne maliciously. More current a...more
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I liked this book. While I hate romance novels, this book held several aspects. It was geographically and architecturally accurate in its history. It held a good adventure plot, and the conflict was insane enough to be real.
The story is about a blue-eyed Egyptian slave girl named Mara. I found the description of her eyes to be "blue" touching but rather superficial and unlikely.
Her blunt and cruel own sells Mara to a complete stranger. The new stranger offers M...more
The story is about a blue-eyed Egyptian slave girl named Mara. I found the description of her eyes to be "blue" touching but rather superficial and unlikely.
Her blunt and cruel own sells Mara to a complete stranger. The new stranger offers M...more
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This was...this had been...one of the greatest books of all time. I remember reading it in 6th grade, and fell in love with it head over heels. Great twisting, nail-biting suspense, and a beautiful ending (as was the SPOILER!!! torture scene. OK, so people may think me weird for finding torture scenes beautiful, but it was really well-written). The heroine is strongheaded, and absolutely relatable to. The romance is of the best kind - not too much, and yet almost not enough to satisfy the reader...more
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Read in October, 2008
I'm reading this book aloud to Clara. Interesting plot. I'm anxious to see how it ends.
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Like most reviewers, I read this when I was younger (6th or 7th grade), as it was part of the curriculum. I loved it then, and I loved it now. I have read it at least half a dozen times.
Mara is a slave who, through a strange turn of events, becomes a double spy. One of her masters is a cold man who works for Queen Hatshepsut. The other is a dangerous (but of course handsome) young man, named Sheftu, who supports Tuthmos, and wants to make him Pharaoh. At the beginning Mara wants to milk th...more
Mara is a slave who, through a strange turn of events, becomes a double spy. One of her masters is a cold man who works for Queen Hatshepsut. The other is a dangerous (but of course handsome) young man, named Sheftu, who supports Tuthmos, and wants to make him Pharaoh. At the beginning Mara wants to milk th...more
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recommends it for:
Everyone!
I love this book. I don't remember when I first read it but I recently finished reading it again. It is set in ancient Egypt, during the reign of Hatshepsut. The setting is vivid and detailed, bringing the era to life for the reader. One of my favorite passages is near the end of the book, where view switches to that of Nuit, Goddess of the Sky. Nuit begins to follow the characters at the climax of the book but is momentarily distracted by the beauty of her starry reflection in the river Nile.
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I really enjoyed this story. It was one of those rare books that I would think about at work and get excited to go home and read. Mara is a slave in ancient Egypt who ends up acting as a spy for both the Queen Hatshepsut and the rebel group trying to dethrone her. Mara is a strong and intelligent character whose sharp tongue often lands her in trouble. It was great fun to follow along through her adventures as she struggled to come to terms with the ideas of allegiance, honesty, and honor.
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Read in January, 2005
I LOVED this book. It was great. I guess I'm just a killer for romance novels... but I really liked the plot (I won't spoil anything!) and the twists and turns. I can still remember this book and a lot about it, even though I read it like 4 years ago or more. If you like good romance, intrigue, and mystery, then I highly recommend this book!
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recommended to Elizabeth by:
sarah
recommends it for: everyone
recommends it for: everyone
I love this book. The idea of the story isn't that original but it's very interesting. I begged my younger sisters to let me read it to them and theykept refusing because they didn't think they would like it. They finally relented though and they both loved it. My sisters were 12 and 15 and I'm 17. So it's good for a variety of age.
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Read in April, 2009
A fast read, but very delightful!
I enjoyed this fast-paced read. The only thing I disagreed with, was that (spoiler alert) rather than Mara becoming honest and conquering her weakness totally of lying, she just lies for the "right" cause. I still enjoyed the story. I love a book with a happy ending!
I enjoyed this fast-paced read. The only thing I disagreed with, was that (spoiler alert) rather than Mara becoming honest and conquering her weakness totally of lying, she just lies for the "right" cause. I still enjoyed the story. I love a book with a happy ending!
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It was a very clean, well-written book. My friend has been after me to read it for a while, and she was absolutely right! It's great. (But it's not a good book to read during class, because you can't put it down and end up getting no work done at all...)
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Read in January, 2001
One of my favorite book titles to mock (oh, the drama!), but Libby convinced me to read it a few years ago and it was enjoyable. Going to have to make a shelf for girl-books-I-reluctantly-admit-to-liking, and put this on it along with Shards of Honor.
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The children enjoyed this book. The suspense and action are quite fun. It even became our nighttime family read aloud because they did not want to wait for lunchtime each day to find out what happens. I got this from a Sonlight curriculum list.
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i first read this when i was ten and then almost yearly all the way through high school. teen fiction yes, but inspired me to become a spy...which i realize i am not but still!! and while i have nothing against twilight, this totally kicks its ass.
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Read in June, 2008
This is a book I read back in high school and I picked it up to see if it was a good as I remembered it being. Mara Daughter of the Nile is the story of a slave girl in Egypt who somehow becomes a double spy. The side she starts to favor is trying to out-seat the current pharaoh. It is an intriguing and entertaining story; nothing scholarly or anything, but a fun, fictional read.
My only issue with the book is it sort of copped out on the exciting parts. I won't go into details ...more
My only issue with the book is it sort of copped out on the exciting parts. I won't go into details ...more
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Absoloutly loved it! She seized her chances and she would let go of her chances. She risked her life to save others. And during it all she found her one true love.She has a warm, crafty heart that everyone will love!
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