Lady of the Reeds

House of Dreams is the personal diary of Thu of Aswat, and it is a fascinating document. Written in the first person, each page chronicles her life from poor peasant girl in the rural Nile farming village of Aswat, to favored concubine in the Royal Harem of Ramses III at Pi-Ramesse. Omitting nothing, this blue-eyed daughter of an Egyptian midwife and Libu mercenary takes us on a journey that travels a path from childish innocence to vile debauchery. We are with her every step of the way. We walk with the young Thu as she leads the family bovine "Precious Sweet Eyes" to the banks of the Nile. We plunge into the Nile with Thu in the dead of night and board the barge of the Seer Hui, where she offers her virginity to the gods of ambition. We witness the education and humiliation she endures to achieve external beauty and power. We sympathize with her as she is cruely manipulated by those with a terrible agenda. Sadly we watch, as by her own choice she becomes a murderess to fulfill her impossible dreams. Lady of the Reeds is a self-serving diary, as Thu attempts to justify her actions to all who read it. Not only do we see through this transparancy, but in the end so does she. What is chilling about this story is our recognition... that we all have some Thu in us. The life story of Thu of Aswat continues sixteen years later in the sequel, House of Illusions.

I had never read any of Pauline Gedge's books before, but when I stumbled across this one, I grabbed it! It's an enjoyable story, and Ms. Gedge kept it simple, which is nice for younger readers, and those who want something fresh and entertaining. It is filled with the history of ancient Egypt, and I found myself drawn into the story and the setting so much that I didn't want the book to end. The sequel, House of Illusions, was very good as well.

I'm only 12 and I have a great interest in Egypts history. I enjoyed this book very much but was disappointed with some of the situations in this novel. I would defainately recommend this novel to a friend but not to someone my age because some parts in the book were inapropriate for me to be reading. This was one of the best novels I have ever read considering the fact that I haven't read that many novels, with me only being 12. This was one of those books that I couldn't put down and there is alot of books that I will put down. I can't wait to read the sequel House of Illusions.

This extremely well-written prose by Pauline Gedge was a pleasure and delight to read. The writer's technique of using the English language to describe ancient egypt and events in this book is astounding! The peasant, Thu, growing up with her poor egyptian family, has high dreams for herself & is not content to be a mere "woman" in egyptian society or a midwife as her mother before her. She attains her dreams after all, but not in the way she would hope. She rises up from a life of poverty on her parents farm in the Delta through the help and mystery of the Seer, Hui, a strange, magical, man with long white hair and red piercing eyes. She befriends him, eventually loves him like a father, & leaves her home to take on several exciting, interesting and intriguing phases of her life before finally, realizing she is all along being prepared for a special mission in life. Partially by design and partially by deception by the people she loves, she attains royal residence as a concubine of the Pharaoh. She finds this submissive, royal, life unaccepting for a beautiful young woman, just being one of many favored by Pharaoh. The book is intriguing until the end and I would recommend this book highly. This is my first Pauline Gedge novel and I will now read all of them!

Since I was 13, and read Child of the Morning, Pauline Gedge has been my favourite author. Now, nearly 20 years later, she continues to dazzle with Lady Of The Reeds (or House of Dreams in Canada). When I read her words, I can feel the heat of the sun and the breezes off the Nile; smell the sandlewood and jasmine; see the palaces, villages, and homes of the people she writes about. I loved this book and sequel with a fierce passion - for 4 days this summer I did not move off the deck, while I read them both. Thu may have been written as a character whose own character is less than lovable, but she charms you so completely that you really care about what happens to her, and hope that everything works out well. She is the perfect anti-heroine who proves that it's not just men who can be rather unlikeable and still have us cheering for them. It has never been acceptable for a woman to be seen in that light. Heroines have always had to be lily-white paragons of such virtues as kindness, gentleness, and are most certainly not allowed any ambition. Thu defies all those stereotypes, and makes us love her for it. I say Bravo! Ms. Gedge, and I only wish there could be more books about the fabulous Thu!