The Twelve Rooms of the Nile

by Enid Shomer

Before she became the nineteenth century’s greatest heroine, before he had written a word of Madame Bovary, Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert traveled down the Nile at the same time. In the imaginative leap taken by award-winning writer Enid Shomer’s The Twelve Rooms of the Nile, the two ignite a passionate friendship marked by intelligence, humor, and a ravishing tenderness that will alter both their destinies. In 1850, Florence, daughter of a prominent English family, sets sail on the Nile chaperoned by longtime family friends and her maid, Trout. To her family’s chagrin—and in spite of her wealth, charm, and beauty—she is, at twenty-nine and of her own volition, well on her way to spinsterhood. Meanwhile, Gustave and his good friend Maxime Du Camp embark on an expedition to document the then largely unexplored monuments of ancient Egypt. Traumatized by the deaths of his father and sister, and plagued by mysterious seizures, Flaubert has dropped out of law school and writ-ten his first novel, an effort promptly deemed unpublishable by his closest friends. At twenty-eight, he is an unproven writer with a failing body. Florence is a woman with radical ideas about society and God, naive in the ways of men. Gustave is a notorious womanizer and patron of innumerable prostitutes. But both burn with unfulfilled ambition, and in the deft hands of Shomer, whose writing The New York Times Book Review has praised as “beautifully cadenced, and surprising in its imaginative reach,” the unlikely soul mates come together to share their darkest torments and most fervent hopes. Brimming with adventure and the sparkling sensibilities of the two travelers, this mesmerizing novel offers a luminous combination of gorgeous prose and wild imagination, all of it colored by the opulent tapestry of mid-nineteenth-century Egypt.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Egypt, Historical, Africa, 19th Century, Adult

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Enid Shomer is an award-winning American poet and fiction writer. She is author of six poetry collections and two short story collections largely set in, influenced by, and life in the State of Florida.

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot moves very slowly due to descriptive text. It is not an engaging story.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! Who could have imagined that Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert would be so good together? Apparently, Enid Shomer did just that, and her debut novel is thoroughly engaging, witty, philosophical, sensual and intellectual. From the bare coincidence that both Nightingale and Flaubert spent a summer sailing up and down the Nile in 1850—but on separate boats, with no indication that they ever met at any point—Shomer has written an epic but personal tale of the meeting of two exquisitely intelligent people (much too smart for their own comfort, or those of their families as well). Florence is desperately searching for a way out of her upper-middle-class prison, having disappointed her severe mother by refusing to marry; she feels a call to something higher but she’s not sure what it is. Gustave struggles with the memory of past mistresses, a domineering but beloved mother, and his own desperate need to do nothing in life but write—and yet he falters, believing he has no talent and nothing to say. In the mostly “uncivilized” lands along the Nile, the two meet again and again as their parties track each other to sites of ancient ruins and across the desert. The effect of living unconventionally both releases their spirits and pulls them into a vortex of sensual discovery that opens the eyes of both these exceptional persons to a new understanding of their own experiences as well as empathy for another. This is a book to be savored and read with a calm spirit of openness and acceptance of the new and the strange. - from my review for the Historical Novel Society Review journal, Summer 2012.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not an easy book to review. There is a lot of talking and thinking within it. A flow of words, excellent writing and just a look into the souls of two famous individuals.

Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert did travel the Nile at the same time, but no they did not meet. This is a what if book, what if they had met. Become friends and what else.

Two intelligent people who crave more meet, become friends and confidantes. Flaubert wants to write a novel, but is having problems with it. He does not want to marry and he loves his prostitutes.

Florence wants something more from life. Not the drudgery of marriage, being shackled and not being able to do more. What that more is she does not yet know. She wants to find her calling, the calling God has promised her.

Their friendship is raw somehow, they share, they talk. But they also wish and that is not the path they should take.

What to say really. Shomer has a way with words, even if not much happen, and even when things to happen. Well things just are. There is something sobering over this novel.

They travel Egypt, together, apart. And maybe in the end they find their calling.

It's not a book you race through, you take your time, and wonder. I did like her style.

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dream of a book. The Twelve Rooms of the Nile is poetic prose about two unique people in an exotic land. Reading it, I was transported to 19th century Egypt and felt as though I were with these two characters every step of the way. A beautiful, engrossing and satisfying read.

[Natasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve Rooms of the Nile is very interesting, and it’s an unusual idea. The book is well researched, and some of it is very interesting and it’s well written, but it’s also very slow, and long.

[Kathleen Flynn]

Some books are very of the moment, on a trendy topic or reflecting a subject of current importance; others for all time. This brilliant novel is one of the latter.

To me, this is historical fiction at its best, less concerned with the exact details of what happened, more with putting the reader in a time and place, and into the minds of people long dead. In this case that is Egypt, 1850; Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert. In their late 20s, he is still an unpublished novelist, while her fierce intelligence and empathy is constricted by the demands of her affluent Victorian family. They are both misfits, struggling to figure out what to do in life, in their different ways deeply unhappy. Travelling up the Nile and visiting the same ancient sites, they meet by chance and forge an unlikely connection that changes them both. (They were in Egypt at the same time; that part is real. As far we know they never met.)

I really, really loved the language in this book, which creates a rising sense of emotional intensity and makes the reader feel the mystery and danger and beauty of Egypt as it must have struck the few Europeans who ventured there at that time. A journey overland to the Red Sea by camel is particularly amazing.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I finished this a couple of days ago but I really=y needed to think before I wrote a review. I loved her writing, elegant and lush, especially when talking about the scenery, which was beautiful. Loved the history behind this, she actually used letters and journals from both of these well known people. Both are at loose ends and feel like they are not getting on with their lives the way they have envisioned them, Flaubert has written his first novel but his friends tell him it terrible and will never be published, Florence's family despaired over her continuing projects to help the unfortunate, wanting her to learn embroidery and get a husband. I was particularly drawn to the parts that featured Miss Nightingale, not as attracted to those featuring Flaubert. It is fact that they were both traveling the Nile at the same time, but this very inventive author imagines a friendship between the two, one bordering on near intimacy. This I had a bit of a problem with, but that may be simply because I knew it to be not true. That the author makes the reader think it could have been possible is all to her credit. Anyway I did love reading about these two well known people and have always loved reading about the culture and history of Egypt.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I initially picked this book up because I thought the premise sounded interesting-what would happen if Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert met during their explorations along the Nile? And I tried to like this book, but the author's portrayal of Flaubert as sex-crazed man just kept turning me off of the story. I only got as far as page 75 before I couldn't take it anymore and it was this sentence that did it: "he allowed himself to picture Miss Nightingale's breasts, which would be small and perky, with nipples, he guessed, the color of stewed prunes."

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before she became a heroine of the Crimean War, and before he had written a word of Madame Bovary, Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert each traveled to Egypt—and, reportedly, glimpsed each other on the Nile. Though the historical record suggests that they did not actually meet, in poet Enid Shomer’s rich and imaginative novel, The Twelve Rooms of the Nile, they do, igniting a passionate friendship that both inspired and repelled.

[Bettie]

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Melissa Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite genres is historical fiction and this fits the bill. Even though Florence Nightengale and Gustave Flaubert never met in real life, they did visit Egypt at the same time and this is a story of what "might" have happened had they actually met.

I also enjoy stories set in Egypt in the late 1800s after reading Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series. This book did drag in the beginning as the background information was set, but once Florence and Gustave met the story took off.

"Before she became the nineteenth-century’s heroine, before he had written a word of Madame Bovary, Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert traveled up the Nile at the same time. In reality, they never met. But in award-winning author Enid Shomer’s The Twelve Rooms of the Nile, they ignite a friendship marked by intelligence, humor, and a ravishing tenderness that will alter both their destinies. On the surface, Nightingale and Flaubert have little in common. She is a woman with radical ideas about society and God, naive in the ways of men. He is a notorious womanizer, involved with innumerable prostitutes. But both are at painful crossroads in their lives and burn with unfulfilled ambition. In Enid Shomer’s deft hands, the two unlikely soulmates come together to share their darkest torments and fervent hopes. Brimming with adventure and the sparkling sensibilities of the two travelers, this mesmerizing debut novel offers a luminous combination of gorgeous prose and wild imagination, all of it colored by the opulent tapestry of mid-nineteenth century Egypt"

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a little known fact that, long before either of them became famous, Gustave Flaubert and Florence Nightingale each toured Egypt at exactly the same time, following a nearly identical itinerary. History does not record them ever having met, but Enid Shomer's novel imagines what might have happened if they had.

Florence is a frustrated young woman, fiercely independent by nature but fettered by society's expectations and her mother's narrow views of what is suitable. She has avoided marriage, having rejected the only suitor who ever came close to winning her heart, and vows never to become the property of any man. A trip to Egypt with a respectable friend and her husband may be the only chance she gets to experience the world, a last hurrah before she pursues her wish to enter a protestant convent where she can practise nursing.

Gustave suffers from epilepsy which, along with the tragic death of his beloved sister, has cast a black cloud over his life. He seeks solace in sex, and we first meet him in Egypt where he is travelling with his friend Max, copying hieroglyphics at ancient temples by day and spending his nights in seedy brothels.

Shomer's Flaubert is a horrible character; obsessed by sex, selfish, crude and altogether unworthy of a classy lady like Florence Nightingale. Can the real Flaubert really have been so odious? I felt quite protective of poor Florence as she and Flaubert met and she slowly succumbed to his oily charms, falling perhaps not quite in love, but certainly in sympathy with this brutish Frenchman. We do eventually start to see a nicer side to Gustave, and it's certainly true that Florence brings out the best in him, but I could never really warm to him and enjoyed the parts of the book that focused on Florence much more than the Gustave sections.

The character I found most intriguing was Florence's maid, Miss Trout. She's a sullen and lumpish woman, who is an unwilling chaperone and would much rather be back in England scrubbing floors than suffering the strange language, culture and climate of Egypt. Through her occasional mutinous mumblings and a couple of little plot twists, we get tantelising glimpses of Trout's secret self, far removed from the doughty workhorse she appears to be.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure the relationship between Flaubert and Florence quite worked. Perhaps it was just because I found him so hateful and couldn't learn to see him as Florence did. Though the author did a good job of describing how they thought and felt, this didn't come across so well in their dialogue, and the two never seemed at ease in each other's company. The story is also quite slow moving, and I think over long. It didn't always hold my interest and in the end took me five days to complete (quite a lot for me) because I kept putting it down.

On the plus side, Shomer's writing was really excellent, particularly the descriptive passages, which conjured up a fine mental picture of 19th century Egypt. There is a section in which Gustave and Florence take a camel trip across the Sahara that was really outstanding; I could almost feel the merciless sun beating down and the sand scratching my skin.

It might be worth picking this up if you have a particular interest in Flaubert or Florence Nightingale as, although this is fiction, Shomer does use their letters and diaries to help construct her characters. I'd also recommend this for anyone who'd enjoy some beautifully crafted descriptions of Egypt. It may not be a new favourite, but I enjoyed the book.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

He crawled across the space between them and rested his head against her shoulder. Philae held them in its silted-up silence. Barely touching her for fear she’d collapse under the weight of an embrace or move away again, he encircled her with his arms. “I am waiting for the muse to visit me,” he managed to whisper, “just as you are waiting for God to speak to you again.” Were they not both self-made pariahs? He felt himself in complete sympathy with her, as if they had mingled their blood in the purity and innocence of childhood.

Part love story, part historical adventure, Enid Shomer’s The Twelve Rooms of the Nile is a fun jaunt back into the Egypt of the mid 1800’s, only just beginning to be appreciated and explored by adventurous Europeans. The tale follows Florence Nightingale, during her pre-Crimean War years, and French writer Gustave Flaubert, as they separately travel the Nile by boat. Both actually did take such trips during their lifetimes—and indeed, even at the same time—though they never actually met, as far as history records. But Ms. Shomer has imagined an alternate, enthralling world—where they do.

The Florence she imagines for us is one who hungers to do some great humanitarian work and leave her mark on the world, but is hampered by the conventions of her Victorian culture, a culture whose foremost watchdog is Florence’s own mother. Prim and proper, but longing to be free, Florence strains against the stays of her society, and briefly escapes the constrictures of her family with two doting friends who agree to chaperone the Egyptian excursion. Gustave, tormented by his companions’ dismissal of his first novel (and not yet the writer who will one day write Madame Bovary), is in Egypt to gather impressions, both in the literal sense, as he makes ‘squeezes’ of hieroglyphs, and in the artistic sense, as he records with his highly attuned, hedonistic perceptions, the pleasures and realities life in Egypt offers.

Shomer, a poet with several published collections, writes with unerring skill, capturing with vivid prose both the characters' inner lives, and the exotic world they travel through. And unlike some poets who attempt fiction, she at no time wanders astray into self-indulgent passages that have no bearing on the story being told; while the language is evocative and at times transportive, it at all times serves the tale, making this novel a delight.

This writer’s strengths: Language, obviously, being a poet, but she also possesses a good imagination, and doesn’t back off from an almost brutal honesty when depicting her characters inner lives. There are some graphic sexual scenes in this novel—it is about Flaubert, after all, and he did die of (probably) complications of syphilis; or ‘the pox’ (which was something of a scourge among Europeans of the time). But they are written with such apparent honesty, that even the luridness of the brothel visits feels necessary.

Who will enjoy this book: The novel was clearly deeply researched, so history buffs of the time, or anyone curious about either of the main characters lives (and if you’re not, you will be, after reading this book), those who enjoy tales of Egypt, especially during the 1800s. Readers who enjoy deeply investigated flawed and believable characters. Readers who enjoy literary writing and a well-turned phrase combined with an adventurous tale.

The Twelve Rooms of the Nile is 445 pages. I did not note any editing errors. It was published in 2012 by Simon & Schustler.

I highly recommend it.

[Linda Banche · Rating 4 out of 5]

The TWELVE ROOMS OF THE NILE by Enid Shomer is a sweeping novel of nineteenth century Victorian Egypt as we follow the fictional meeting of Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert, a meeting that will set both on the course of their life’s work, as they travel up the Nile and back. Vivid characterizations, loads of historical detail and pictures painted with words give a strikingly accurate depiction of nineteenth century Egypt as well the two-faced morality of theVictorian world.

Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert never met in real life, although they both traveled the Nile at around the same time. Florence is rich, privileged, highly intelligent, well-educated yet naive, strong-willed and determined to do good in the world, yet thwarted under the stultifying Victorian mores that cast women solely as wives and mothers. Gustave, childish, supremely selfish, disgustingly dissolute, cruel to women and suffering from epilepsy he conceals, is a fledgling writer, but has yet to make his mark.

The contrast between these two dissimilar characters couldn’t be more extreme, and yet a friendship of sorts springs up between them, a friendship which will change both their lives.

Ms. Shomer paints pictures with words as she describes Egypt’s blistering heat, the ever-present sand and the extreme poverty of the cowed people who must survive in a country where bribery, and hence the rich, rule.

Her characterizations are masterful. I suffered along with the downtrodden Florence, destroying herself as she fights to stifle her natural exuberance and desire for a life different from those of her class. I despise the self-serving Gustave, who cares for no one but himself, and most especially, his penis. I found him such a completely unsympathetic character, that he deserves all the suffering his epilepsy and other torments can inflict. While I like descriptions, I would have preferred the author not dwell so much on Gustave’s offensive exploits.

I found the second section of the book, where Florence and Gustave take a side trip to the Red Sea, to be the best part. The mystery of Florence’s maidservant and the accord Florence and Gustave reach while stranded in the desert with little water are engrossing.

The title comes from an Egyptian myth in which the sun god, Ra, must travel through the twelve rooms of the underworld each night before he can emerge to grant the world another day.

Those who enjoy historical fiction set in exotic climes may enjoy this book.

ARC provided by Simon & Schuster

[Kate]

What a piece of crap. I can't believe this made NPR's list of best historical fiction of 2012. I was bored stiff for the whole first half of the book. It finally picked up but not enough to make up for it. I'd give 2/5 stars simply because the author does have potential and, as the book unfolds, the relationship between Flo and Gustave becomes touching quite unexpectedly.

The author is way too verbose and detail obsessed for me. I din't really give a crap about all the description of Egypt and what the whores were wearing and the cow dung and whatever else.

Save yourself and don't bother with this book.

[Dawn Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book but it took me a long time to get through. It's not a stay up all night page turner - more of a read a bit, put it down and think about it book. The whole "twelve rooms" part never played out for me - didn't understand that at all. But the fictional storyline of the friendship between Florence Nightengale and Gustave was fantastic and a nice change from romantic musings.

[M.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Successful historical fiction transports readers into another place and time through compelling stories, illuminating those times with accurate depictions of people, mores, fashion, society, politics, living conditions, and behaviours. What Enid Shomer's The Twelve Rooms of the Nile adds to this formula are characters drawn so vividly, so tenderly, so intimately that readers can inhabit their very beings.

see complete review at http://wp.me/p29Qar-du for a complete review

[Aarica · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the more ostentatious and pretentious books I have read. It took what felt like hundreds of pages read to get to a solid plot and to build a connection with the characters. I was only able to focus on the flaws... which for me, is never a good indicator. This book was just not in the cards for me. Slow plot, difficult to connect with the characters and overly detailed and flourished descriptions.

[Arlen · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED this fictional meeting of Flaubert & Flo Nightingale, or Rosignol... Ms. Shomer's 1st novel is a gem. Congratulations to her. The alternating stretches from each character' point of view are masterfully juxtaposed & Ms. Shomer leaves us delicious spaces between that we may traverse in our own imaginations. Best wishes to Ms. Shomer!

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the depictions of Egypt, could have done without some of the sexuality, and probably would've been just as thrilled with no Flaubert at all. Why those two? Isn't Nightingale fascinating enough on her own? Also, the ending was too blasé and yet over the top; could've reigned in the poetic prose a little as it wasn't necessary and didn't add much.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story moves along very slowly and I had a bit of a hard time paying attention. There are gorgeous descriptions of Egypt and the Nile and the overwhelming heat which is why I gave this 3 stars but I need a bit more action, drama or suspense in my books to really enjoy them.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

For upcoming Booklist review.

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't get interested in this book.

[Julie L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Page 32 and that was it for me..not my type of book....

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my third read about Florence Nightingale and I'm glad I read it last since the other two books gave me the details about her life and her trip down the Nile. Nightingale was a woman decades ahead of her time. Brilliant and over-educated for her gender and the period in which she lived, she suffered anxieties and prejudices for her forward, independent thinking that cost her dearly in terms of health, both physical and emotional.

Florence was a self-proclaimed celibate her entire life and felt it her spiritual calling to give herself to the care of others. She spent all her early years struggling to determine what God had called her to do exactly, while her family fought her at every turn for not following the more conventional predetermined path of young women of her day, which was matrimony and motherhood.

The Twelve Rooms of the Nile is what I would have wished for her, finding someone -- even for a time -- with whom she felt understood and of a kindred spirit. Gustave Flaubert is certainly an unlikely choice on the surface but the author shines a light into his heart and spirit that is convincing. He also longs for that elusive connection that Florence seems to provide with her character, wit, brains, and passion. Passion of a different kind than he is used to with his habitual visits to brothels. For me, The Twelve Rooms of the Nile brought Nightingale's trip down and up the Nile to life much more than her own account, Letters From Egypt, published by her sister, which I found to be rather dry and tedious.

While this book is definitely a work of fiction, it does hew closely to the historical journey she took. It's a wonderful companion piece to biographies about her, especially Nightingales, a biography by Gillian Gill, of Florence and her extended family that fleshes out the family and time-related influences that shaped her. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the aforementioned biography as well as Letters from Egypt as a prelude to The Twelve Rooms of the Nile. Nightingale was a tremendously complex individual whose vision helped raise public health beyond measure and who was a visionary of her time.

[Janet Eshenroder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two and a half stars.

First: I was so glad I chose the Kindle version. The author had done meticulous research into the Middle East, Egypt, and terms used in 1800s. While this frustration improved slightly as I progressed through the chapters I was continually looking up words. This familiarity with local vocabulary did lend an air of credibility to the time and place. It was quite an accomplishment for a first novel. I cannot fault the author for her writing.

Detailed accounts of people, cultural trends, town sights and sounds, plus minute details of character thoughts and motivation were in keeping with an historical romance novel. Unfortunately, this type of book rarely ranks high in my list of favorite books. Lots of words. Little meat. I put the book down several times to read other books. If you love this type of writing, you may adore the book.

My husband asked why I even continued reading, as I was obviously getting more frustrated. My reason was that I intended to finish it, to give it every chance to live up to the hype which made me order the book.

The details overwhelmed the story. It was like taking a year or two out of your life to make a long slow journey across the desert. Having to experience each and every moment might be fine if you wish to vicariously live through the experience , but sometimes it felt more like my parents’ generation showing slide shows for three hours of their trip to the Grand Canyon.

I was hoping to get a better picture of the interactions between two famous individuals. Instead, I believed less and less of the information provided about the actual protagonists. By the end I was skimming faster and faster, hoping to find something in the book which, unfortunately for me, never materialized.

The end did provide information as to the amount of research. Part of me feels I should move this to three stars. My disappointment makes me want to leave it with only two stars.

[Robert Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I 'liked' this book rather than 'really liked' this book, but three stars seems to be a bit mean for a book with such a scope and wealth of content.

It's all made up, but this book is about when Flo met Gus in Egypt. They kind of fell in love but couldn't, for the various (fictional) reasons, be together. I know this seems like a bit of a spoiler, but it's not because, think about it, Flo and Gus weren't together in real life. Check their Wikipedia pages if you don't believe me.

Over the course of the book they meet, fall in love and part. They see the sights. There's a bit of an erotic part (which is rather well done. Very tasteful.) They get ill. They recover. The characters go through various stages of angst. Then they all go their separate ways and history (as per Wikipedia) picks up again: Flo gets to do some nursing and Gus writes his books.

It's nice to imagine that there's this kind of little interlude. And it's probably indicative, to a large extent, of Flo and Gus's interactions with other people. It's nice that the whole thing is put together so neatly into one novel.

I'm just not sure whether I'm interested enough in Gus to read his books. Let's see.

Read this if you're into fan-fiction.

[Shala Howell]

I really wanted to like this book. The good:
* beautiful writing
* speculative history with a great what if premise
* sharply drawn characters for both Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert
* really immersive experience when it comes to what it would have been like traveling down the Nile in 1850 as an Englishwoman vs a Frenchman - so fascinating and I might yet finish it, but not for me today
* rare to find a relationship centered book starring a male and female lead that is a portrait of a friendship and not a romance.

Why I decided to make this a sample rather than a finish:
After reading 115 pages of it, I found I was not enjoying Flaubert’s company and while I could have spent more time hanging out with Florence, I don’t get much time to read for fun anymore and I decided not to spend any more of it with an imagined Flaubert I didn’t enjoy when his novel Madame Bovary (a version of Flaubert I do enjoy) was sitting right there

Recommendation:
Readers who enjoy immersive historical fiction with an intellectual philosophical bent, detailed descriptions of travel through Egypt in the 1850s, and who are not put off by frank discussions of time spent in a brothel (and its after effects) will enjoy this meditative novel.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This almost-love story is really captivating -- so captivating that when I lost the copy I had gotten from a used book sale, I ordered another one from Amazon. It is an "almost" love story and a kind of "almost" everything because Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert were in the same places in Egypt at the same time. There is no evidence they ever met -- and it is highly unlikely, given that the paths of a debauched French roue and a very protected, wealthy English lady would ever meet.

The writing, given that this is a debut, is extraordinarily beautiful, lush and poetic. Just the kind of writing a story like this needs. It's a book to take time with. I'm glad I did.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characterisation. Florence nightingale “Flo” or “Rossignol” is forthright, determined and experiencing bouts of deep depression about society’s unwillingness to allow her a useful role in life. Gustave Flaubert is “en flânent” up the Nile without much purpose other than visiting every brothel. The pair meet and make an unlikely, but well written connection - their shared feelings of being outside normal society, and not quite understood fan the flames of friendship. Friction with Flo’s maid Trout is forgotten when she disappears and Flo reads her diary to discover the maid has hidden depths.