Reviewed by C.R. Hurst for Readers' Favorite
Entertaining and well-researched, A. Piper Burgi’s The Exploress and the Pillars of Eternity is a fine example of historical fiction. Set in the early nineteenth century, at a time when Egypt was just beginning to allow Europeans access to their country and its archaeological treasures, the book follows the daily struggles and successes of Italian Giovanni Belzoni, a self-taught engineer and archaeologist, and his English wife, Sarah, who must battle the political intrigues of Muhammad Ali Pasha, the governor of Egypt, and Bernardino Drovetti, the French Consul-General, in their efforts to uncover Egyptian antiquities for the British museum. Based on genuine historical personalities and events, the plot weaves fiction and fact with skill.
I especially liked the way the two main characters were portrayed in The Exploress and the Pillars of Eternity: Giovanni, the 6-foot, 7-inch giant of a man, whose energy and charisma act as a foil to the petite, intelligent, and poised Sarah. Their relationship is built upon mutual respect and deep love. I also liked the character of James, an Irish boy whom Sarah rescues from a life of petty crime and who is a loyal servant to the pair. In addition, Sarah’s burgeoning independence is nicely developed, too. In an era when women were rarely allowed the freedoms that men routinely enjoyed, Sarah becomes an exploress and the book’s most dynamic character. I look forward to A. Piper Burgi's sequel to this novel: The Exploress and the Secrets of Infinity.
