Nefertiti Discussionguide
DISCUSSION GUIDE Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
1. Thousands of years after the pharaohs ruled Egypt this ancient civilization continues to fascinate the world. Were you drawn to Nefertiti by an interest in Egyptology? What aspects of Egyptian life are of interest to you? 2. The book opens with the funeral of Tuthmosis, brother of Amunhotep. Amunhotep refused to kiss his brother’s canopic jars. How was this refusal an insult to his dead brother? What was the significance of the canopic jars? 3. History remembers Nefertiti as a great beauty. What other aspects of her personality are highlighted in Nefertiti? How does she use her stunning good looks to her advantage? How do they hurt her? Have you ever known a woman like Nefertiti? Overall is this a positive portrayal of her as a queen? As a sister? 4. What is your impression of Amunhotep? Do you think he was responsible for the death of his older brother and his father? Is he a tragic figure in Nefertiti or a villain? Why does he change his name from Amunhotep to Akhenaten? 5. How did Akhenaten’s theological beliefs extend to the visual arts? Why was he furious at the artisans for depicting him as all the other pharaohs had been depicted for thousands of years? 6. Why is Akhenaten called the heretic king? How did his religion differ from Egypt’s ancient religion? Why were his sweeping changes so difficult for people to accept? 7. Do you think Nefertiti’s father, Vizier Ay, was a wise man or was he a slave to his ambitions just as his daughter was? Do you think he asks for an unfair level of loyalty from Mutnodjmet? Does she disappoint him? 8. What effects do the intrigue and politics and positioning of court have on Nefertiti and Mutnodjmet’s relationship? What makes the sisters close? Would you say they are more bound by love or obligation? Why do you think Nefertiti wants to keep Mutny so close? 9. Considering how powerful the Egyptians considered their gods, do you think Nefertiti had any concerns about denying the gods to advance herself or her family? 10. When the plague comes to Amarna, Mutnodjmet decides to stay instead of leaving for the safety of Thebes. Why? What would you have done in her position? What eventually happened to the city of Amarna? 11. Nefertiti’s body was eventually desecrated. Why was it especially devastating for Mutnodjmet to learn that her sister’s chest had been destroyed? What is the place of the heart in ancient Egyptian theology? 12. During the time of the plague why were some people willing to risk death to place an amulet in the hand of a deceased? 13. Remembering that Nefertiti is a work of historical fiction, do you feel the author concluded the book in a satisfactory manner? In the end, what was Nefertiti’s legacy?
Additional Reading: Dodson, Aida. Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamen, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter‐Reformation. American University of Cairo, 2009. Drake, Nick. Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead. Harper Paperbacks, 2008. Fletcher, Joann. The Search for Nefertiti: The True Story of an Amazing Discovery. 2004 Fluty, Cheryl L. Nefertiti: Immortal Queen. CreateSpace, 2010. Mertz, Barbara. Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2009 Silverman, David P. Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press, 2003. Tyldesley, Joyce A. Nefertiti: Unlocking the Mystery Surrounding Egypt’s Most Famous and Beautiful Queen. Penguin, 2000.
Related Websites: “Akhet Egyptology: The Horizon to the Past” http://www.akhet.co.uk/nefertit.htm “Best Selling Author, Michelle Moran.” http://www.michellemoran.com/index.html Dunn, Jimmy, “Queen Nefertiti.” http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/nefertiti.htm “Nefertiti” KingTutOne.Com http://www.kingtutone.com/queens/nefertiti/ Hawass, Zahi. “Mystery of the Mummy from KV55.” http://guardians.net/hawass/articles/Mystery%20of%20the%20Mummy%20from%20KV5 5.htm Spence, Kate. “Akhenaten and the Amarna Period.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/akhenaten_01.shtml
About the Author Michelle Moran was born in the San Fernando Valley, CA. She took an interest in writing from an early age, purchasing Writer's Market and submitting her stories and novellas to publishers from the time she was twelve. During a summer in Israel where she worked as a volunteer archaeologist, she earned an MA from the Claremont Graduate University. Ms. Moran has traveled around the world, from Zimbabwe to India, and her experiences at archaeological sites inspired her to write historical fiction. She is the international bestselling author of Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, Cleopatra's Daughter, and Madame Tussaud.
Other Books by Michelle Moran: Cleopatra’s Daughter (Random House, July 13, 2010) The Heretic Queen (Random House, September 1, 2009) Madame Tussaud (Random House, December 27, 2011)
Availability: Four copies are available through the Salt Lake County Library system Two copies are available through the Salt Lake City Library system Copies are available through area bookstores New and used hard bound and paper back copies are available through various online book companies Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook versions are available Area booksellers, Frost’s Books and The King’s English, offer discounts on UMFA Book Club books.
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