Song of the Nile by Hannah Fielding

Synopsis
Luxor, 1946. When young nurse Aida El Masri returns from war-torn London to her family’s estate in Egypt she steels herself against the challenges ahead.

Eight years have passed since her father, Ayoub, was framed for a crime he did not commit, and died as a tragic result. Yet Aida has not forgotten, and now she wants revenge against the man she believes betrayed her father – his best friend, Kamel Pharaony.

Then Aida is reunited with Kamel’s son, the captivating surgeon Phares, who offers her marriage. In spite of herself, the secret passion Aida harboured for him as a young girl reignites. Still, how can she marry the son of the man who destroyed her father and brought shame on her family? Will coming home bring her love, or only danger and heartache?

Review
It’s not very often that I am lost for words, but after reading em>Song of the Nile by Hannah Fielding I was completely blown away. Set in Egypt 1946, Aida returns to her home in Luxor after eight years of being in England. But it is not just the famiy home that brings her back, she is seeking revenge for her father’s death after he was accused of trafficing Egyptian artefacts. Her eyes are set on her father’s friend Kamel Pharony who she believes set her father up. But things are complicated by Kamel’s son, Phares who she was meant to marry eight years ago. Phares is now a surgeon, and even more handsome than she remebered and still makes her go weak at the knees, but can she trust him, he is known to have some very glamerous girlfriends. Romance, smuggling and scandal are set against the ancient pyramids.

Song of the Nile completely swept me up with the setting, the steamy romance and fabulous story telling of Hannah Fielding. Her beautiful prose painted a a colourful feast for the senses of Egypt, with the aromas of the food, the flowers, the trees, the stunning scenery, the desert and the lush greenery living side by side and the sound of the markets, the sound of the birds. Hannah Fielding lived in Egypt which expalins the authenticity of the book details, the Egyptian phrases, her knowledge of the customs and social scene of Egypt, and as an added bonus she has included recipies at the back of the book of the mouth watering food. There is so much going on in this book, the will they or won’t they relationship of Aida and Phares, the illegal trade of ancient Egyptian artefacts, made popular after the 1922 dicovery of the tomb of Tutankhamu, and the importance of family. I have long held a fascination for Egypt, and to read about the ancient temples, the pyramids and the palces built there was just fascinating. Hannah Fielding also addresses the political problems of Egypt of 1948, with the colonial British working with the King, and the people who want Egypt to govern itself using violence to be heard.

Hannah Fielding’s characters are as detailed and well drawn as her settings. Aida is a complex character, very independent, stubborn, impulsive and finds it hard to trust. She never believed the charges of smuggling against her father and she is determined to clear his name. Having an English mother gives her a rare quality with her blonde hair, and pale skin, making her a prize catch, but she definitely more Egyptian than Britsh. She is a woman who is aware of her sexuality, and never more so than in the presence of Phares, her one time future husband. The tale that ‘absence makes the heart grow stronger’ is definitely true for Aida and Phares, their smouldering sexual tension is hotter and steamier than the desert heat. Phares is a handsome hero who wants to sweep Aida off her feet, even though she wants her feet firmly on the ground. There is also a real villain to hate, add boy did I hate him.

Song of the Nile is a sweeping epic novel with romance, scandal and smuggling against the stunning background of the pyramids. Hannah Fielding evocative writing captured how the ancient and new live alongside each other, and she brings the contrasting desert, the lush green of the hills, the fragrant flowers and beautiful Nile all to life. This book is the definition of a ‘page turner,’ and it left me with a huge book hangover; I felt I needed to come up for air when I finished this book as I was immersed in it. Breathtakin, magical, spellbinding barely do this book justice, it is simply sublime.