The new Hannah Fielding book!

Song of the Nile was a fabulous read, maybe a masterpiece! Descriptions of locales in Egypt, the cities, desert, food and characters, are lush and beyond compare. Not to mention the romantic and steamy romantic episodes which are tastefully but passionately written.
The book is set in post-World War II Egypt and centers around Aida El-Masri, an English-Egyptian girl, whose Egyptian father tragically died of a heart attack after being falsely accused of the theft of an Egyptian antiquity. Aida has spent the war years in England as a nurse often caring for the war wounded. After the War ends, she returns to the family home in Luxor and soon reconnects with surgeon Phares Pharaony, a childhood friend. The relationship is complicated by the tale told by a servant years before about the involvement of Phares’ father Kamel, in the false allegations against Aida’s late father.
Eventually Phares and Aida begin to re-build their relationship, complicated by his unexplained absences. There is engaging narrative/adventure concerning the obtaining and sale of stolen archeological antiquities and how it connects to Phares.
This was a beautifully crafted novel, complete with detailed descriptions of the Nile, the trees and flowers of the country, and the lives and customs of various levels of Egyptian society—wealthy Coptic Egyptians, expatriates, the common people including workers, servants, and Bedouins,
My thanks to #netgalley for a copy of this book. The author was unknown to me previously, but I learned so much about how a non-European country fared during and after WWII, about Egyptian nationalism at the time, and so much more. Highly recommended.

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The romance at the heart of this story is well done. It has the handsome doctor and the woman who loves him, and it has the conflict that keeps them from being happy. In this case, it’s another woman, or two, as well as a suspicion that his family caused shame to hers. The beauty of this book, though, is in the beauty of Egypt, painted in every scene. The lush areas near the Nile, and the captivating scenes in the desert are ones I can read again and again. And the descriptions of the wealthy postwar crowd in Cairo, and their amazing clothes, are very well done. Overall, the characters of Phares and Aida are complex and well drawn. Their attraction is strong, and the misunderstandings keeping them apart are believable. Highly recommended for fans of historical romance.

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I love Egypt and everything about it. This book transported me back there and back in time. It seemed everything that could go wrong with Aida and Phares’s love story would go wrong. So many ups and downs, a few secrets. Would they won’t they? I won’t spoil it. I loved this book. It was a bit longer than most other books but well worth it. I almost believed I was there.

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Hannah Fielding does it again with this wonderful evocative story of post war Egypt.
Aida and Phare as children from neighbouring families had grown up together and it was always thought by both families that they would marry.
However when Aida was eighteen her father was accused and tried of stealing ancient antiques and found guilty.upon the verdict he suffered a heart attack and died.
Aida had been told by a servant that it was infact Phare.s father who had stole the artefact.
Feeling devastated she left Egypt and went to stay with family in England.
Following the Second World War where she has trained and worked as a nurse Aida returns to Egypt to try and clear her fathers name and restore the family estate.
What follows are the trials and tribulations of Aida and Phare and if they are able to resolve their differences and find love.
Beautifully written with beautiful descriptions of the Nile and Luxor.
One of those books you just can’t put down

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I loved this book. The characters of Aida and Phares are complex and adventurous. The Egyptian setting is amazing and the supporting characters intriguing. Read this in one day, couldn’t put it down!

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I had never heard of this author – and I have no idea why! I love Kate Furnivall, and this book reminded me so much of those. I really enjoyed this lush historical romance, and I will be reading all of her books!

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Incredibly seductive novel!

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Wow. Just wow. It’s a fun adventure with the main female lead and some rather saucer bits (don’t read this out aloud). You really feel yourself rooting for a certain character, the way it’s written you can feel the chemistry between the two main leads coming off the pages. Lovely, true well written.

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I really thought it was very enjoyable to read, I finished it within a matter of hours. Bravo Hannah Fielding!

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Song of the Nile by Hannah Fielding takes you to Egypt. Her sweeping descriptions of the sunrises, sunsets, bazaars, buildings, and desert, make you feel that you are feeling the cool night air, smelling the hibiscus.  The setting becomes a character in the setting of this book.  Aida left Egypt 8 years previously after the death of her father.  She served as a nurse in London during the war, but returns home in 1946.  She struggles with the independence she gained in England now that she is back in a male dominated society.  She is rebellious of these strict rules which cause impulsiveness and often misunderstandings in her life.  Phares is the man who as a boy taunted and teased Aida growing up.  He is now a doctor, has women falling at his feet, and Aida believes his father is responsible for her father’s death.   Will they be able to come to terms as they look as much at the past as they do the future?  Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my voluntary and honest review of #SongoftheNile, it was a fabulous book.

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[T]his is a novel that is packed with sweeping imagery of Egypt in all it’s glittering colours. I am delighted to be joining the blog tour today with my review of a book that offers all readers the joy of absolute escapism to another era, to a time when society was on the cusp of change, yet traditions were very much rigidly respected and invoked.

Following a harrowing few years at the cold face of nursing in London during the war, Aida El Masri arrives home to Luxor. Times have changed for Aida and she is now no longer the terrified and traumatised young woman who left her home eight years previously following an event that shook her world. Her home is a vast estate that has been kept going in her absence but now Aida needs to make decisions on her life and her future. Her mother died many years ago leaving Aida with her father who she had loved dearly. Her mother was English and her father Egyptian. Against the wishes of their families they had married and created a new life, one filled with love and respect. A marriage to the son of the adjoining landowner had always been pre-destined for Aida. Phares Pharaony was the son of her father’s best friend Kamel Pharaony. Although a few years older than Aida, Phares was a respectable choice, a solid individual and their union would bind two very wealthy estates, cementing their position in Luxor’s society and beyond. But, at eighteen, Aida’s father was arrested, framed for a crime he did not commit. As the jury found him guilty, his heart gave up and he collapsed in the courtroom, dying in front of Aida’s eyes. Aida, distraught, hears a rumour that it was Kamel Pharaony who was responsible and, upset, now unable to stay in Luxor, Aida leaves for England. Over the following years she worked hard in her new found career as a nurse, witnessing first hand the horrors of war, but now finally she arrives home with the intention of sorting out her affairs and finally uncovering the truth behind her father’s victimisation.

Aida is opinionated and strong-willed. Her stubborn nature is not a trait that is accepted by many in Egyptian society. Her attitude has changed and she refuses to bend to the whims and desires of this world she now inhabits. She fully reembraces the fashion and the comforts, all that she had missed while overseas but she will not be pressurised into an organised marriage to a man she now sees as the son of her greatest enemy. Aida see Phares Pharaony as a man who, like others of his stature, wants a woman to be submissive, a woman who obeys. It’s very clear that many men lust after Aida but it is Phares who challenges her the most and, against all her wishes, leaves her confused and wanting more. Aida is a breath of fresh air on her return but her stormy personality soon irritates some people and she finds herself a thorn in the side of many.

Song of the Nile is an intensely racy, sensual and steamy read set against the lush backdrop of Upper Egypt. Hannah Fielding writes about her homeland with a knowledge and a passion that brings all the senses very much to life. The colours, the scents, the sounds are all very vividly described….

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“A realm of sultry heat and mystifying intrigue, of evocative colour and spine-tingling sensation, of vivid settings and exotic cultures, of whispered attractions and gentle caresses, of all-consuming passion and all-conquering love.” – Hannah Fielding
When reading Song of the Nile, the reader is transported away from their own lives into a world of bygone years when society, and its treatment of women, was very different to the world many of us live in today.
Song of the Nile is escapism, very passionate escapism, perfect for all who like to be seduced and swept away into a fictional world filled with desire, longing and very powerful attractions set in the most incredible landscape, that of the exotic and lush Upper Egypt of the post-war years.

Swirl and Thread

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I loved this book – it was a wonderful blend of historical fiction and a beautiful setting that I would love to return to someday, although with politics and COVID I doubt I will ever return to Egypt. This book will appeal to lovers of history, romance, a lost world and wonderfully written fiction.  I will recommend this book to friends, family, patrons, bookclubs and strangers on the tube who are reading…

Janet Reads Too Much

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Oh, what a read! The story is set in Egypt back in 1946. I loved the wordy descriptions in the book, always have. It’s like travelling all the way to Egypt without having moved from my place. I have seen and experienced so many places this way with the help of the author. Hence, it is always a pleasure reading her works.
OK, now onto the story. I loved the story. Not only because it was romantic, sensuous, and beautiful in every page but because it was authentic. Of course, the descriptions of the lavish lifestyle of the Egyptians were genuine but what I appreciated was that even the mindset of the characters were absolutely authentic, pertaining to the time period. It was absolutely believable that a girl or man from such a background and cultural upbringing would act the way they did. I loved that about the author, she didn’t choose to let go any of that for the sake of the story.
The storyline, at par with the timeline, was perfect too. While I was reading it, I wished I had gone back years ago to witness what life was back then – all the luxuries, comforts, and plenty of humanity still intact.
Overall, an exotic and romantic read.

Book Vue

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In 1946 Aida El Masri returns in her family estate from London where she was working like a nurse and helping to wounded soldiers and the others in WW II. After eight years spending in total dedication she must face with her inner struggle as a results of her father’s tragically death. He was convicted and died in the courtroom in front of her eyes. She was certain that he didn’t do that crime and for that she blames his best friend Kamel Pharaony. When she meets again Phares Pharaony her heart awakes the old feelings for him. She is under pressure. How to clean her father’s name? She is only a woman in a such a men’s world.
The story took place in Egypt and I felt magic spread through it. From the Pyramids, Sphinx, the exceptional water of Nile and the other ancient and modern places which represent Egypt.
“How unlike the world she left behind was this remote universe of sand, water, palm trees and statues; how different from the images of war she had witnessed, how wonderfully peaceful and removed from reality!”
“the high steps to the platform, the young woman caught her breath. Cairo! The bustle, confusion, the shouting of porters, the babble of Arabic…After the slow pace of the countryside the noise was music to her eager ears.”
Hannah Fielding writes stories that will sweep you away. Her breathtaking writing features vivid scenes pull you into the story and make you feel every moment. The book is very detailed and if you are not for that kind of book ti is not for you.
Aida is the most lovable character in the story. She is kind, persistent and confused by her feelings because of her father’s death. Phares is strong, attractive, as a doctor he is a good catch, he is wealthy and likable character too.
“Aida sighed and sipped her cup of strong coffee, lost for a moment in a chaos of conflicting thoughts… There were emotions which she had to understand…”
This book blow me away and make me feel it with my heart and soul. It is profoundly beautiful and unpredictable that I highly recommend it. In the end I have feeling that I had journey through Egypt although I never visited it.

Books Are My Life

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Romance has always been a tricky genre for me – I prefer to read realistic, passionate and sensual romance. While there is a very thin line between a sensual and an erotic romance, majority of writers tend to jump that fence and end up writing truly erotic stuff while marketing them as sensual piece of fiction. When I first read this author’s works a few years ago, I found the perfect mix of what I wanted from a romance fiction. This book is no different in terms of being the perfect romance read.
The book turned out to be an absolutely delightful read.  The mysterious and charming desert of Egypt, the lush fields of Luxor and the fashionable streets of Cairo came alive through the writers artfully crafted narrative. Depicting the culture and blending it with modern ideas to deliver perfect characterization is a tricky task – this writer does that with a particular ease that one simply would not experience any flaws. Consider this, in post war period, the Middle Eastern culture was simply more restrictive when it came to things that women were allowed to do. However, the protagonist of this story – Aida, set about to do as she pleases as she managed her father’s estate until she was convinced that she would not loose her identity and independence upon marriage. This might not really have been possible in that age, but then, there were always exceptions where women took up things in their hands to enjoy their freedom.
The luxury that the upper echelons of the Egyptian society experienced seemed mind blowing for me. It is one thing to write an artful narrative of the setting, it an entirely different thing to blend in the minor details which takes the experience of reading a whole different level – this writer seems to be a master at this.
No qualms at all. Just none.  Turned out to be one super perfect romance. Browine points to amazing cover art.
Overall, this is a book I would highly recommend.

­A l’ouest

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I can’t tell you how excited I was to delve into this latest book from Hannah Fielding, one of my favourite authors.  In this story, we follow Aida who has been in England since the death of her father, having been born and previously lived in Egypt.  Aida travels back to the family’s estate after the war is over (having not been able to travel back before then because of the war) and she is very unsure of what she will find both at the estate and with certain people she may not want to come across when she gets home.  Aida is convinced that her father was framed for a crime that he was on trial for just before he died and also believes that she knows who is responsible.

What I loved the most about this story is Aida’s journey from rediscovering herself again after being away from Egypt for so long and also trying to find out the truth about what happened to her father.  You also have the complicated relationship with Phares (the person who she was destined to marry before she left Egypt after her father died) and it was certainly very interesting to see what happened when they met again.  You also have other characters, some good and some bad, that pop in along the way.
I also enjoyed the fact that this story was based in Egypt, which is a location that I haven’t ready much in novels so it was very interesting to learn more about customs and ettiquette back in the 1940s.
A thoroughly enjoyable novel that will grab you from the very first page and hold on until the very last.  I can’t recommend this high enough.  You need to read this!

Debra’s Book Café

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On returning to Upper Egypt in the aftermath of WW2, Aida El Masri is determined to seek answers to a question that has overshadowed her life for the last eight years, and even her experiences working as a nurse in war torn London hasn’t lessened Aida’s resolve to find out who betrayed her father.
Returning home to Luxor is a bittersweet experience for Aida but gladdened that life in her homeland is just as beautiful as ever she is determined to settle old scores, and start a new life for herself. In attending glamorous parties, and wearing beautiful designer dresses, Aida takes her place in high society where her beauty and lively spirit attracts the attention of some unusual suitors. However, it is in the rekindling of Aida’s relationship with the charismatic Phares Pharaony where the heat, and passion, truly starts to sizzle. Fiercely independent, Aida doesn’t take kindly to being manipulated and maneuvered, so when Phares offers her a marriage proposition, Aida is torn between what is in her head, and what is in her heart.
Beautifully redolent of the heat and passion of Egypt, and by using her own experiences of growing up in Alexandria, the author beings this stunning country alive in the sumptuous descriptions of life amongst Egypt’s elite. From the glittering ballrooms and lavish estates of the supremely wealthy, to meetings with Bedouin traders and gypsy fortune tellers in the heat of the desert, there is never a moment when the story doesn’t draw you into a long forgotten world.
The Song of the Nile is beautifully reminiscent of this author’s skilful ability to place you directly into the world of her imagination which is so beautifully described that you literally step into the pages and experience, first hand, all the sights, sounds and emotions which are so glorious recreated. Coming in at well over 500 pages, Song of the Nile is a book to be savoured like the fine wine which flows so freely at the soirees, and glamorous events of Egypt’s high society.
In these uncertain days when foreign travel is filled with trepidation, over the last few days I have been whisked away to the sultry heat, and dust, of 1946 Luxor, luxuriating in a forgotten world brought so beautifully to life by this talented author.

Jaffa Reads Too

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Sensuous, informative, and atmospheric!

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Song of the Nile is a historical love letter to Egypt, complete with authentic and fascinating facts of life in the country following WWII and a breathtaking tour of the landscape, monuments, and landmarks that still grace this beautiful countryside today.

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The writing is vivid and rich. The characters are warm, bold, and determined. And the plot is a richly described, captivating tale full of life, love, loss, family, drama, desire, intrigue, romance, customs, and societal expectations.

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Overall, Song of the Nile is a steamy, mysterious, alluring tale by Fielding that highlights the unique political landscape of Egypt over the years and reminds us of the importance of trusting, forgiving, and ultimately the power of love.

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Hannah Fielding has done it again with a gloriously romantic and smouldering read. Having loved every one of her previous books, I particularly looked forward to this one set in post-war Egypt and wasn’t disappointed.

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Thanks to the author’s own Egyptian roots, we’re treated to an unforgettable journey, vividly transported to a bygone golden age of Egypt on the brink of political upheaval … from the bustling, colourful souks of Cairo and glamorous parties of colonial high society, to the rural family life of the lush plantations and the tombs and pyramids of the sweeping desert. There’s a family scandal, stolen antiquities and even a palace in the heart of an oasis with a baddie to make your toes curl.

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This is a story straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster, blended with steamy yet elegant romance and a sexy hero to die for. Escapist perfection. 5 stars!