Synopses & Reviews
From the
New York Times bestselling author Sally Beauman comes an intensely atmospheric, spellbinding re-creation of Lord Carnarvon's hunt for Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.
Sent abroad to Egypt in 1922 to recover from the typhoid that has killed her mother, eleven-year-old Lucy becomes swept up in the feverish excitement surrounding the search for Tutankhamun's tomb. Through her friendship with Frances, the daughter of an American archaeologist, Lucy witnesses first-hand the intrigue, politics, and passions surrounding this quest. Raised in a world in which adults are often cold and unpredictable, Lucy forms an immediate bond with Frances. Their friendship sustains them throughout childhood, guides them through the class-ridden colonial society in which they grow up, and takes them into an adult life that promises fulfilment—until it veers toward heartbreak.
Deftly constructed and transportive, peopled by powerful characters, moving from the 1920s to the present day, The Visitors is a timeless coming-of-age narrative set against the backdrop of profound historical change. But how is such change documented? Whose testimony is reliable? Which witness should we believe?
Looking back on her past much later in life, viewing it from the perspective of age, Lucy tells a deeply moving story of love and loss, of mistakes made and incendiary secrets concealed. She reveals the circumstances that lie behind the most celebrated discovery ever made in the Valley of the Kings, a discovery clouded by deception, in which triumph swiftly turned to tragedy; it is a story, as she comes to see, whose truths are both elusive and occluded, one that mirrors her own. As Lord Carnarvon and the archaeologist Howard Carter force the desert to yield its treasures, Lucy reveals the extremes to which people are driven by desire—even when these extremes involve building a life around a lie.
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“[A] beautifully written novel, a tale of intertwined lives that is at once powerful and haunting. Beauman maintains the tension surrounding the tombs discovery.” < em=""> The Times < m=""> (London)
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“Interesting, unusual and informative, it is greatly enjoyable.” < em=""> Literary Review < m="">
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“This historical novel approaches…the 20th centurys most sensational archaeological event.… There are riches here.” < em=""> Kirkus Reviews < m="">
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“There is much to delight in this book.…Nearly a century after King Tuts discovery, Beauman manages to make both the lives of her fictional characters and those at the historical center of Tuts unearthing riveting.” < em=""> New York Journal of Books < m="">
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“A book of astounding scholarship on Egyptology and the 1920s…. The novels…writing and characterizations are golden.” < em=""> Booklist < m=""> (starred review)
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“Atmospheric…. Sally Beaumans fact-inspired story plunges readers into the thrilling search for King Tuts tomb in 1922 Egypt.” < em=""> Parade < m="">
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“Romance, deception, and colonial decadence.” < em=""> More < m=""> magazine
Synopsis
Based on a true story of discovery, The Visitors is New York Times bestselling author Sally Beaumans brilliant recreation of the hunt for Tutankhamuns tomb in Egypts 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 Carnarvons 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 Egypts 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 Tuts tomb is made vivid and immediate in Sally Beaumans skilled hands. A dazzling feat of imagination, The Visitors is a majestic work of historical fiction.
About the Author
Sally Beauman is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist who began her career at New York magazine. Her internationally bestselling novels, including Rebecca's Tale, her sequel to Daphne du Maurier's iconic work, have been translated into more than twenty languages. She has written for The New Yorker, the Sunday Times, and numerous other leading periodicals on both sides of the Atlantic.