Maia of Thebes, 1463 B.C.

Life and Times

by Ann Turner

Leap into the ancient world in renowned author Ann Turner's exciting addition to the Life and Times series. Maia's story is filled with action, adventure, and all the drama of life in ancient Egypt.

The intrigue and mysticism of ancient Egypt comes to life in Ann Turner's spectacular addition to The Life and Times series. In the time of the Pharoah Hatshepsut's rule, the Egyptian days could pass as slowly as the Nile's lazy waters, or as quickly as the Nile's rising floodwaters.

Maia and her brother are orphaned and living with a cold, judgmental aunt and uncle in Thebes. Searching for a way out of their house, Maia pleads with her brother, Sethnet, who is learning to be a scribe, to teach her how to write. He agrees, and this is to be her saving skill.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Egypt, Young Adult Historical Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

Ann Turner, also known and published as Ann Warren Turner, is a children's author and a poet.
Ann Turner wrote her first story when she was eight years old. It was about a dragon and a dwarf named Puckity. She still uses that story when she talks to students about writing, to show them that they too have stories worth telling.
Turner has always loved to write, but at first she was afraid she couldn't make a living doing it. So she trained to be a teacher instead. After a year of teaching, however, she decided she would rather write books than talk about them in school.
Turner's first children's book was about vultures and was illustrated by her mother. She has written more than 40 books since then, most of them historical picture books. She likes to think of a character in a specific time and place in American history and then tell a story about that character so that readers today can know what it was like to live long ago.
Ann Turner says that stories choose her, rather than the other way around: "I often feel as if I am walking along quietly, minding my own business, when a story creeps up behind me and taps me on the shoulder. 'Tell me, show me, write me!' it whispers in my ear. And if I don't tell that story, it wakes me up in the morning, shakes me out of my favorite afternoon nap, and insists upon being told."

(from: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/tnc/mtai...)

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a story full of intrigue... and a strong, intelligent female protagonist to boot! Set in Ancient Egypt in Thebes... a great historical fiction novel with interesting tidbits about Queen Hatshepsut.

[Analie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love stories set in Ancient Egypt. This one features female protagonist Maia who yearns to become a scribe and studies in secret. While the plot development and pacing are weak, I did enjoy the footnote at the end about Hatshepsut's rule and opportunities for women that were unusual in the ancient world. It was fascinating to learn women could own property, make their own wills, bring cases to court, and even start businesses.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maia and her brother, Seti are orphaned when their parents caught 'the fever' in 1463 B.C. They come to live with their Aunt Nebet and Uncle Hay, who are neither loving nor accepting. She is treated as a servant, but Seti is more favored because he is learning to be a scribe at the palace. Maia begs her brother to teach her how to read and they clandestinely meet to begin the lessons. Maia, fearful yet brave, discovers some dishonest thievery going on between her uncle and the palace grain store house. She struggles with telling the truth and bringing dishonor to her household...in the end, Maia and her brother find love and contentment in the house of a stranger, who believes strength, bravery and truth are noble traits.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like stories about Ancient Egypt, this is a good one to read. A mystery weaves through the story about a young girl and her brother, orphaned and living with their Aunt and Uncle along the banks of the Nile. You get a glimpse of what life may have been like for them and what happens if you do something dishonest and get caught!

[Kiersten]

Admittedly better than the first two in the series (both of which were written by a different author and both of which were horrible). However, still just subpar. I bought this book several years ago and have read it twice. It's an okay story - not terrible, not really special.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle grade historical fiction about a girl and her brother who live with relatives after their parents die of a fever. When Maia tells the truth about a crime she's witnessed, she becomes a target. Luckily, her brother is a scribe who has taught her to write. This knowledge just might save her life.

[Varsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot fell flat for me but I enjoyed the writing. The characters were very likable too and the bond between Seti and Maia, Meret and Maia and Nefert as well as many others were very wholesome to read. I left the book feeling satisfied but I continue to wonder what happened to Merisu...just another Egyptian mystery I guess.

[Wraith Tate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Certainly liked this one better than Atticus of Rome. (It being by a different author certainly helped) I think my biggest complaint was that the pacing seemed a bit uneven.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love stories about young women and this one is set in Ancient Egypt so it was a lot of fun to read. Maia is brave and honest and compassionate. It is a good story.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super enjoyable - full of characters you can really root for and villains wonderful to despise. Certainly a YA book, but it had some nice figurative language and imagery sprinkled throughout.

[Marc Kohlman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling Coming-of-Age adventure story! Since Middle School, I was absolutely fascinated with Ancient Egyptian history and culture. Upon reading the other two books in "The Life And Times" trilogy- I was excited to start this one. Turner did splendid research for this story and her writing is eloquent, vivid and captivating. Every detail from architecture, clothing and customs were beautifully described and accurate based on what I learned from museums, documentaries and other books. Each of the characters were dynamic, both heroes and antagonists. Shows how people of the Ancient World were no different from ourselves today. Through the course of reading, I forgot about anything else and felt being in Egypt during the New Kingdom period. Maia is a heroine in the very essence of the word- she had to overcome grave dangers, intrigue and fear to protect her loved ones, pursue her dreams and make a life for herself. A "Cinderella Story" in a way that reaches across time, age and nationality. Definitely a role model any young person can admire and learn from. Children from families that do not appreciate them and especially young women in tradition-bound societies can relate to Maia's character and follow her example. This is a great example of how anyone can achieve great things and make a difference. I highly recommend this thrilling page-turner for young readers who love Historical Fiction, stories with mystery, love, hope and strong protagonists.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about Maia and her brother Seti, who were orphaned as young children and sent to live with their Uncle Hay and Aunt Nebet in Thebes, Egypt during the reign of Hatshepsut. Maia learns to be a scribe in secret with Seti as her teacher. Late one night, Maia notices a noise in the courtyard of her aunt and uncle’s home and gets up to stealthily investigate. What she discovers sets into motion events that change not only her fate, but also that of those around her.

The book, while well written, was somewhat lacking in story. Throughout the book, the characters were not really developed that well so one never really got a good idea about what Maia and Seti’s life had been like before their parents died. Also the book seemed rushed in details, as if the author had a page limit and was getting very close to going over it. The setting was not developed well and the book seemed to be lacking any significant historical background information that would have helped set up the setting and events of the story. Overall, I did enjoy the book as a fun read and would recommend the book to young girls from ages 10-14 that were looking for a quick read to get them interested in Ancient Egypt. I would not recommend this book for anyone looking for a book with a lot of historical information.

[Roxanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was all excited when I found this at the library because Egypt, but it was ultimately pretty disappointing, the sort of YA that would seem pretty good to a kid but doesn't translate well for an adult. The heroine is kind of whiny, she makes some questionably rash decisions because apparently there was a god urging her on? And then she whined a while longer. Even though other gods in the Egyptian pantheon were mentioned, I felt like the Amun worship was just sort of a foil for a Christian mindset, which just isn't accurate. And then there was a convenient attractive man at the end. Anyway, it's probably fine for a starter book on Egypt - I did like the setting, the river, the descriptions of the home - but not really worth an adult picking up.

[Aaishah · Rating 2 out of 5]

i decided to read this book because i find ancient egypt interesting.' a book that teaches you about another time in history' is the bit that it fills up on the bingo board.My favourite quote from this book was "teach me" it were these two simple words that saved her life because she was taught hieroglyphs.something new i learnt from this book was that no matter how restricted you are always chase your passion to learn or be something.a setting that i found interesting was ancient egypt because of its history and queen and people.

[Catherine Gillespie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maia of Thebes is decent historical fiction set during the reign of Hatshepsut. It has a lot of good setting information, although we wound up discussing the fact that the author implies that lying is ok as long as it’s for a good cause. Things like this are why I think it’s a good idea to read and discuss books with the kids!

My son (9) said to tell you that he didn’t mind it as a read-aloud but he doesn’t think boys would enjoy it too much as an independent read.

{Read more of my reviews at A Spirited Mind.}

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting but it felt pretty contrived. The reading level seemed far below the maturity level of the content. There was a fair amount of violence and mature themes. There are much better historical fiction options out there.

[Roseann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a simple tale which would give a tween reader a good start on the beliefs and way of life of egyptians during 1400 BC.

[Renae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but thinly developed.

[Sarah]

i got this signed at a young authors conference when i was in middle school and it was such a cool experience!
i also shook hands with the guy who wrote the screenplay for mulan!

[Hamdan Sulaiman]

Worst book ever. Maïa of Thebes < Horse shit

[Lwana Khalil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very great book overall, teaches you about Ancient Egypt and how Ancient Egyptians lived their lives, and took you through their daily life, and the struggles they went through as well as some of their laws.