Novel set in Egypt and London (1930s stunningly evoked)
- Book: Shadows on the Nile
- Location: Egypt, London
- Author: Kate Furnivall
Shadows on the Nile by Kate Furnivall, is a fast paced, gripping, fun and tantalising romantic, historical novel. Too many adjectives on the first line, eh? Truth is, it’s got so many layers that we can only use a big number of words to describe it, but if I was told to use only one, I would go for gripping. People who love historical fiction will be very pleased to hear that the amount of research that went into the creation of the story was very meticulous, and the pages are filled with interesting facts and perfectly described places; the romance, however, might throw a few people off balance. I wasn’t bothered by it, and in fact found it quite enjoyable, but I do agree that it all happened much too fast. It works nicely with the concept of super-deep human connections established from the beginning of the book, so it’s very easy to turn a blind eye to it.
Before I continue with the other elements mentioned, I would like to say that I thought it was very curious that Tim is described on the back cover as an archaeology expert, at age twenty-five; true, he did start very early in life, but how do his professors know that in order to elevate him at twenty-five to the status of expert? Now, I do not know if back then it was different than now, if you didn’t need a PhD or a really high number of years working in an area to be considered expert, so I might be in the absolute wrong here, but it did jump at me. That being said, he does manage beautifully in Egypt, so he does live up to that title within the pages of the book.
So, Egypt, then. Ironically enough, I picked this book to get out of my comfort zone, that is to say, from Occidental Europe or North America. I thought, “What’s more different than my rainy England or the liberal Americas?” Why, 1930’s Egypt, of course! Hot, definitely, and no doubt scary for most women. Sure, let’s go there, why not! So I went there and guess what? The book is set in London for a third of the book! Well, it did take me out of my comfort zone in a way, because even though every street and landmark is described so wonderfully that I was able to walk there with the characters and was thus filled with nostalgia most of the time, it is also the England of 1930’s, the depression England, the pre-world war II England. (I know I did not capitalize. I make a point of not capitalizing such destructive things, and hope one day it will catch on so that we can focus on capitalizing positive things). This means that some of the events told here are some of the grimmest of the Twentieth Century, including the painful misunderstanding and consequent mistreatment of autism. Still, London is London and it was shown in all its magnificence…
As was Egypt. I have never been to Egypt and never plan to go (I am aware that the situation with women has changed a lot in the past century, but the heat is a major deal-breaker for me. There is a scene in the desert which involves major heatstroke, a poisonous sting, and hallucinations. That is the way I feel sometimes here in Mexico, in my room, on my bed, minus the poisonous sting. When you read the scene you will understand me). This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the lore and magic of the country, so particular and enticing. There are bits and pieces of history and legend intertwined beautifully within the dialogue of the characters, and I was very pleased when I read in the author’s notes how she had actually felt pain at having to cut big chunks of explanation. The characters are all pretty well-rounded so I won’t get into that, but I will mention the remarkable link that passes on between them as a tool for explaining both their singularities and their connection: Sherlock Holmes. The stories of Arthur Connan Doyle merge with the history and myth of Egypt to give the characters a means to say where they are and who they are, between themselves and with the new people they meet. It is an extraordinary resource, and quite tricky if not used properly. Furnivall not only uses it correctly, but also owns it and shows it proudly to the reader. To close up I’ll just say that the other resource, the use of three points of view, is very helpful in order to move the story forward and to allow the reader to feel sympathy for each character as the chapters turn. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to people who like historical fiction and adventure. I have no food or drink suggestions this time, nor kudos to a particular pet, but it’s still pretty cool. Who knows, maybe it’s because it’s one of those novels that you can read as much in bed or in a sofa as well as on a plane or on the tube… Either way cheers and read on!! Sandra Tena for the TripFiction Team
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