As international tensions spiral out of control, we're all forced
to contemplate the uncertain present and future role of Middle
Eastern countries in global politics. Centuries-old ideological
conflicts have spilled over geographic boundaries into our own
daily lives, leaving roiling emotions in their tragic wake. Yet
there was a time when this region that lies half a world away held
a romantic allure for travelers and historians alike. The mystique
of this ancient cradle of civilization sparked the imaginations of
novelists like Mailer, Smith, McCullough and Michener, who
transported us with a stroke of their pen to the stark deserts,
lush river valleys and towering monuments of the Valley of the
Kings. Bedouin tents and bustling bazaars fascinated visitors from
all over the world.
Elizabeth Peters is one such author who found the beauty of the
land and the rich history of its people a compelling backdrop for
her historical fiction. With this latest novel, she continues to
reach beyond the ugly realities of today's turbulent Middle East to
a gentler era of the early 20th century, crafting her enchanting
mysteries from the fabric of her own life experience.
CHILDREN OF THE STORM is the fifteenth journal of Peters's beloved
fictional character, Amelia Peabody Emerson; it brings together all
the family principals of previous novels in one grand reunion. The
First World War has ended and the Peabody/Emerson generations are
gathering in Egypt for what is hoped to be an uneventful season of
reacquaintance and renewal, but fans of Amelia know that it isn't
likely to remain that way for long. Ramses and Nefret, David and
Lia, and Walter and Evelyn have arrived, accompanied by their
respective children, to lend a hand with the latest archeological
project that is preoccupying Amelia's husb