While I love fantasy and Sci-fi books, there are many genres I like to read. One being historical fiction. One great book in the historical fiction genre is Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. What makes historical fiction so attractive as a storytelling genre? In my opinion, there are two elements that make historical fiction intriguing, one that is often unique to historical fiction and one that is utilized across many genres. These elements are real places and real problems. Both are prevalent in Mara, Daughter of the Nile, so I thought it would be a great example to discuss.
Before I get started, as usual, here is your spoiler alert! Despite the spoiler alert, I will focus mainly on the historical element of writing fiction rather than the plot of this book. However, I may mention some plot points, so if you don’t want spoilers, I advise saving this post and coming back after you read the book.
Real Places, Fictional Story
"For seven days the Silver Beetle beat her way southward, her sails fat with the breeze of the Great Green - the Mediterranean. On either side of her gently dipping prow the long land of Egypt slipped by like an unwinding scroll, revealing fields and marshes, mud-walled villages, fisherman straining at their nets."
- Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Mara, Daughter of the Nile
In historical fiction, there must be accuracies in the “historical” aspect of the story. This can be anything from how people dress to the words they say or even the location where the main characters live. In Mara Daughter of the Nile, one of the most compelling historical elements is the story’s location, Thebes, Egypt. Set in ancient Egypt during the reign of Hatshepsut, this story follows a servant girl who gets caught on both sides of a political plot to overthrow the throne. Even though this book is not historically accurate, the fact that people can look up some of the characters and find real-world history makes this book even more fascinating and fun to read! This reality within the fictional story is an element of world-building in and of itself, as the reader can find digital renderings of ancient Thebes and see what it looked like during the time period of this book.
The other significant real-world elements that the author uses in this book are the bodies of water in the geographic locations, the Mediterranean and the Nile. The main character, Mara, begins on land, and the transition to a boat on the Mediterranean and Nile marks her new life of freedom. Or so she thinks. The water travel offers some glimpses into what the story, and Mara's life, really holds. The water is more dangerous than it appears on the surface, and that quality is reflected in the story.
With her own take on what life in Egypt might have been like, Eloise Jarvis McGraw takes some liberty with the actual facts but primarily focuses on filling in the gaps where history leaves some room for imagination. But she grounds the story using the Thebes and the Nile as key elements in the environment that tells people where the characters are and what life was probably like. She also uses them to depict the reality of the different worlds the two main characters come from and how their privileges, and lack thereof, impact their individual stories and relationship with the surrounding areas.
Fictional Characters, Real Problems
"She could not see his expression, for his profile was black against the dazzling sky. But there was weariness in his pose, and he looked lonely, human―far different from the deadly menace who had lounged against that bale. Perhaps it was true, that he had no stomach for this day's work."
- Elois Jarvis McGraw, Mara, Daughter of the Nile
Mara, Daughter of the Nile, follows two main characters who are on completely opposite sides of the time period’s class system. Mara, a slave, and Sheftu, a scribe...or so he would like Mara to think. The main characters’ differing worlds collide, resulting in a unique and turbulent story of the power of love. The real problems the characters face are one key element that makes them relatable in their struggles and in their choices. The themes of opposing sides of the political system and class system are, sadly, ones that still ring true today. But, in my opinion, this dose of reality is what makes this story so compelling. This book portrays the conflict between the two very different lives of the servants and the high-class royals while bringing the two together in a unique take on the political turmoil that may have been happening at the time.
This book not only brings to light the more painful side of real-life problems, it also brings to light the power of love. This story includes both love of country and love of another person and how that love can overcome the most powerful of obstacles. These elements of real places and real problems are essential to storytelling, even outside of the historical fiction genre. Both are included in Mara, Daughter of the Nile. Though this book may not be perfect, nor is it about friendly people in an ideal society, its story of love that concurs all is inspirational.
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