In ancient Egypt women enjoyed a legal, social and sexual
independence unrivalled by their Greek or Roman sisters, or in fact
by most women until the late nineteenth century. They could own and
trade in property, work outside the home, marry foreigners and live
alone without the protection of a male guardian. Some of them even
rose to rule Egypt as ‘female kings’. Joyce Tyldesley’s vivid
history of how women lived in ancient Egypt weaves a fascinating
picture of daily life – marriage and the home, work and play,
grooming and religion – viewed from a female perspective, in a work
that is engaging, original and constantly surprising.
