The Visitors

Summary (from the publisher): Based on a true story of discovery, The Visitors is New York Times bestselling author Sally Beauman’s brilliant recreation of the hunt for Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings—a dazzling blend of fact and fiction that brings to life a lost world of exploration, adventure, and danger, and the audacious men willing to sacrifice everything to find a lost treasure.

In 1922, when eleven year-old Lucy is sent to Egypt to recuperate from typhoid, she meets Frances, the daughter of an American archaeologist. The friendship draws the impressionable young girl into the thrilling world of Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, who are searching for the tomb of boy pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings.

A haunting tale of love and loss, The Visitors retells the legendary story of Carter and Carnarvon’s hunt and their historical discovery, witnessed through the eyes of a vulnerable child whose fate becomes entangled in their dramatic quest. As events unfold, Lucy will discover the lengths some people will go to fulfill their deepest desires—and the lies that become the foundation of their lives.

Intensely atmospheric, The Visitors recalls the decadence of Egypt’s aristocratic colonial society, and illuminates the obsessive, daring men willing to risk everything—even their sanity—to claim a piece of the ancient past. As fascinating today as it was nearly a century ago, the search for King Tut’s tomb is made vivid and immediate in Sally Beauman’s skilled hands. A dazzling feat of imagination, The Visitors is a majestic work of historical fiction.

Review: I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book from HarperCollins.

Beauman's historical novel recreates the true story of the hunt for Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in the 1920s from the perspective of 11-year-old Lucy. Lucy is recovering from typhoid, which killed her mother. Lucy makes lifelong friends while in Egypt, and also gets to meet American archaeologist Howard Carter and his wealthy patron, Lord Carnarvon. Told in flashbacks, the elderly Lucy reminisces on her Egypt adventures, prompted by the visit of Dr. Fong, who is making a documentary of the fateful discovery of one of the most intact tombs ever found in Egypt.

I was really intrigued to read this story, because I love historical fiction based off of real events and was particularly interested in Egyptian history as a child. Additionally, I found the inclusion of Lord Carnarvon, lord of Highclare particularly interesting, since it is now best known as being the set for filming of the well known Downton Abbey show. "Oh, well, it's a castle of sorts, I suppose. That's Lord Carnarvon's place, Lucy. That's Highclere" (243).

However, the plot of this was all over the place and didn't seem to have a coherent structure or climax. Many large plot developments that I thought must surely figure heavily in the development of the storyline turned out to be events that were dropped into the story, never to be visited again. For example, the murder of Poppy, the mother of Lucy's friends Rose and Peter. Likewise, the angry outburst of Howard Carter towards Lucy. And the book written by Miss Mack, Lucy's guardian while in Egypt. And the fact that Lucy's father marries Nicola Dunsire. Or Lucy's relationship with Peter. This book read like a collection of odd events without a central storyline. The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb is presumably a central storyline, yet for Lucy, her trips to Egypt itself seem more relevant that the famous tomb. In the author's defense, perhaps she included all of these assorted points because they all have historical basis. However, if so, they still should have been worked together more coherently.

I didn't really care for many of the characters in this book; I'm not even sure if I liked Lucy. I was particularly struck by the odd relationship between Nicola Dunsire and Lucy. "I taught you power, Lucy. I taught you how to get what you want. If you prefer not to go through this life getting trampled underfoot; if you wish to avoid being thwarted at every turn; if you wish to prevent your deepest desires being ridiculed or dismissed - then learn from it" (222).  Does Lucy hate Nicola? Or is it love/hate? Is Nicola a lesbian? Is Lucy perhaps a lesbian? What is the significance of Nicola's relationship with Lucy and why does the author spend so much time alluding to the shadow nature of Nicola's character?

This was certainly an interesting historical event to focus on, and I appreciated the author's inclusion of so many historical figures, however, I couldn't get past the poor execution and the disorganized, rambling nature of the plot.

Stars: 2