Why a Booktrail?
1929, 1975: Mix WW2 Cairo with restless expat lives in bohemian Beirut.
1929, 1975: Mix WW2 Cairo with restless expat lives in bohemian Beirut.
Archaeologist Lucie Fitzgerald’s mother is dying – she’s also been lying. As her home, the ‘Paris of the East’, Beirut, teeters on the brink of war in the ‘70s, Polly Fitzgerald has one last story to tell from her deathbed. It’s the story of her childhood best friend Juno and their life in 30s Cairo. Lucie travels home to be with her dying mother and discovers the truth about her family, Juno’s work and their shared search for the greatest undiscovered tomb of all – Nefertiti’s.
From the cities to the deserts, this transporting and moving story of a lost generation transformed by war is a study of great love and sacrifice in all its forms.
Lebanon, Egypt and a few places inbetween
As well as Egypt and Beirut which are the key points in the story, there are a few other places connected to the history within the book:
British Museum, London UK – where Lucie lectures on Egyptology. There is also a bust of Nefertiti at Neues Museum.
St Just in Roseland, Cornwall UK – the ‘garden of Eden’ where Polly and Juno become blood sisters, discover Vega
Kate says:
“The Golden Hour was inspired by my lifelong fascination with Egyptology. In the library at home I have books on Egypt I’ve had since childhood – it struck me one day, flicking through them – where are the women archaeologists?
I am drawn to forgotten bits of women’s history – I wanted to tell the story of the pioneering women who worked on the digs in Egypt.”
What a compelling story and the writing just draws you in!
The scene setting was out of this world – Egypt in the 1930s is a sight to behold with its souks, noise and heat.
Destination/location: Beirut, Cairo, Valley of the Kings Author/guide: Kate Lord Brown Departure Time: 1929, 1975
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