House of Illusions: A Novel - Hardcover

Gedge, Pauline

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1559212004 ISBN 13: 9781559212007

Publisher: Moyer Bell and its subsidiaries, 2007

Synopsis

Pauline Gedge is a master at recreating the golden age in Egypt. Her heroin, Thu, a peasant girl from the village of Aswat, possesses both beauty and intelligence. To her good fortune Thu is found and brought to the center of society. She is chosen and trained for the court of Pharaoh Ramses. Her talent and guile win her a post in the harem. || Thu rises in favor, is betrayed in a court intrigue that threatens her life and falls from grace. Pharaoh spares her life but banishes her to serve the priests at the lowly temple of Wepwawet near the first cataract. || House of Illusions opens on Gedge's vividly recreated Egypt, sixteen years after Thu's banishment. During her exile she writes an account of her court life and the betrayal for which she seeks revenge. These events took place three thousand years ago. Daily life and custom are woven into the story. In a world without soap and little water, natron serves quite well. Gedge is able to get into the mind of the courtiers and their attitudes to their servants. While beneath them, these inferior beings are very much a part of the family of the house. || The mysterious Hathor, Thoth, Amun and Ma'at are part of the Egyptian pantheon. They enter the daily life of the characters and the mystery begins to make sense. Never again will the reader scoff at these queer religious notions. The harmony and truth Ma'at embodies is the guiding principal Thu believes in seeking her revenge.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

House of Illusions shares the heroine of Lady of the Reeds, Thu, a peasant girl from the village of Aswat. Because she possesses both beauty and wisdom, Thu is chosen and trained at court. She rises in favor only to be betrayed in a court intrigue that threatens her life. House of Illusions opens on Gedge's vividly recreated Egypt, sixteen years after Thu's banishment. Egyptian soldiers returning from missions down the Nile would occasionally pause in the village of Aswat to pray to the god of war, Wepwawet. The stories of the mad woman and her desperate pleas to have her manuscript delivered to Pharaoh are well known to them all. Kamen, a junior officer from Pharaoh's palace guard, is forced to stay a night in the dreaded village of Aswat. Taking pity on Thu, he agrees to deliver her beautifully bound manuscript to Pharaoh. He errs, however, in failing to follow her exact instructions, thus setting in motion a fateful chain of events that ends in a threat to the lives of many, including his own.

About the Author:

Pauline Gedge's books have been published in several languages and have won many awards. Her first novel, Child of the Morning, was an international best seller. She won the Writers Guild of Alberta Best Novel of the Year Award for The Twelfth Transforming. She lives in Alberta, Canada.

About this edition

• Publisher: Moyer Bell and its subsidiaries
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1559212004
• ISBN 13: 9781559212007
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 436