In 1975, as Lucie Fitzgerald sits by her mother Polly's deathbed in Beirut, the city teeters on the edge of war.

Knowing her time is short, Polly reveals a long-buried secret - a hidden chapter of her life involving her best friend Juno, a quixotic, determined, beauty who harbored an obsession with Egypt’s ancient past.

Their shared history in late-1930s Cairo, marked by wartime intrigue, personal tragedy, and Juno’s relentless pursuit of the legendary tomb of Nefertiti, has remained shrouded in silence for decades.

As Polly begins to unravel the past, uncovering the dark truths of her family, Lucie is overcome by the emotional weight of the revelations.

All the characters are well realised and convincing, but Juno and Polly are particularly vivid as they rush to claim a future in world which is busy making history.

Will the lessons of their story help Lucie, who has spent a lifetime combing the past for evidence left by lives lived, chart a course through her own troubled times?

With its fascinating setting and compelling characters - broken by one war and now caught in the grip of another - this novel is absorbing and moving, delivering expertly-judged notes of triumph and tragedy.

Lucie's mother is dying and Lucie travels to be at her side. What Lucie doesn't know is that her mother has secrets to tell and these secrets will change Lucie's life forever..

This book was an absolute joy to read. It is rich in detail and beautifully written..

I adored the setting and Polly's life was filled with drama and I felt that I was transpurted and lived it with her.

It truly is sublime.. I can't wait for a paper copy as this is one I want to re read..