The Woman Who Would be King by Kara Cooney

"The Woman Who Would Be King" by Kara Cooney is an in-depth, researched, yet speculative account of the Egyptian King Hatshepsut during the 18th Dynasty, prior to the heretic king Amenhotep IV and Nefertiti.

Ms. Cooney's book goes into detail about a woman's role within Egyptian royalty and how many mothers ended up ruling as co-regent until her son could effectively rule on his own.  The interesting thing about Hatshepsut is that not only did she guide her nephew after the death of her brother-husband, but actually rose herself to the status of co-king by being able to successfully transfer her belief that she had been chosen by the gods to rule.

I have read several books about Egyptian kings and queens, but never before I have learned so much about politics, religious customs, living conditions, and the perceived roles of royal women.

This book would be most appreciated by someone who is really interested in Egyptian history.  Being a theoretical book based a lot of research, I still found it to be an engrossing read.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion.