supercheesegirl

I first read this in 2008. It's a YA novel with intrigue, adventure, and romance set in ancient Egypt. On one level, it bothers me that Hatshepsut, one of the greatest queens Egypt ever knew, is set in the role of the villain here - being passionate about women's studies and women in history, it bothers me that Hatshepsut's character is portrayed as evil simply because she's taken on a role of power. On the other hand, I can appreciate the story for what it is and file this version of Hatshepsut away in the same category as the evil queen in a fairy tale like Snow White. It doesn't have to be anything more than a story, but now that I have a daughter of my own, I think it's important to notice these things so I can talk about them with her when she's old enough to read books like this. Judith Tarr wrote a completely different novel about Hatshepsut, so if my girl grows up to be interested in Egypt (or queens, or novels in general) I'd want to share both books with her and compare them. Can you tell I'm really looking forward to talking about books with my child?