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A review by tomesproject
The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney
4.0
4.5/5 stars - What I appreciate the most about this book is, first of all, the intriguing and well-told story of Hatshepsut, but second of all, the way Kara Cooney writes this to be purposefully accessible to a lot of readers who may not read a ton on nonfiction (me!) or may not know the historical context to rituals and the rulership of ancient Egypt (also me). Just before this, I had tried to read a biography of Cleopatra, and I was often confused or a bit lost on why things worked the way they did in ancient Egypt. Kara Cooney makes sure to go to the effort of explaining what ceremonies and rituals looked like, why they performed them, what the significance was to the people of the time, and how the passing of power happened from one king to the next.
These are all very significant parts of Hatshepsut's story. Indeed, they are why there is a story to tell in the first place. The context Cooney provides is crucial while never feeling like it's dragging along. Excluding the notes, the book is under 250 pages. Kara Cooney does all of that while providing context before and after Hatshepsut's life, what happened before her birth and what was done to her legacy after she died. All the while, the story never drags or is encumbered with unnecessary information and tells a complete and compelling story of the longest reigning female pharaoh of Egypt.
These are all very significant parts of Hatshepsut's story. Indeed, they are why there is a story to tell in the first place. The context Cooney provides is crucial while never feeling like it's dragging along. Excluding the notes, the book is under 250 pages. Kara Cooney does all of that while providing context before and after Hatshepsut's life, what happened before her birth and what was done to her legacy after she died. All the while, the story never drags or is encumbered with unnecessary information and tells a complete and compelling story of the longest reigning female pharaoh of Egypt.