Review of “Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh” by Marjorie Vernelle

Score: 94+/100 (9.4+ out of 10)

Temple in the Sands: Memoirs of a Pharaoh is the tragic, triumphant, captivating, and “sorrowful tale of ultimate power, lasting glory, and father and sons.”

It is written on the walls of the Temple of Seti that the legendary, near-mythical Egyptian king, Seti I, kept a diary of his daily life. However, that diary has never been found. Author, college professor, traveler, and historian Marjorie Vernelle makes a bold and valiant attempt to authentically recreate what that diary might have been like based on her many years of studying Egyptian culture and history, particularly Seti himself.

After reading this book from cover to cover, we believe that Vernelle succeeded!
For the most part, this reads like non-fiction. This seems legitimate. This reads like the actual thoughts a ruler in that place and at that time would have had.

There are a few times when it gets a little awkward, like when Seti starts directly referring to all the papyrus paper he has to write on or how bad he feels for the families of his soldiers, but besides a few parts like that, it's solid.

For one thing: we think this book is intentionally flat and boring at times, which is exactly what a diary would read like. Remember, a real person in real life doesn't wake up deliberately living out a three-act story. They wake up, access the situation in their life, and do their best to make it to the next day, hopefully better than the last day. That's pretty much what Seti does. Keep in mind: Seti is one of the greatest conquerors in Egyptian history. He is someone who, you would think, would be constantly battle-planning and scheming, but the reality of the situation is that that was probably not the case.

Seti, like most kings, is more concerned with personal matters and matters of the state. That's true whether you're reading Egyptian history, English history, Chinese history, or—heck—granted the author's interest in France—French history. Rulers don't spend their entire day planning battles or wars. Yes, that's true even for guys like Napoleon or Genghis Khan. Rulers have scandals, affairs, controversies, and feuds. They get sad, mad, and even depressed. They get hurt, sick, and even bleed. As Seti says in this book, even royals “piss, shit, and screw like everyone else.” They have hobbies and passions outside of war and conquest, despite history largely focusing on those conflicts.

In fact, if you wanted to argue that Seti had a hobby, it would probably be architecture, something which definitely rubbed off on his son, Ramesses II.

And, yes, if you aren't already aware, Seti I is the father of the even-more-famous and even-more-legendary Ramesses II, the pharaoh who is often believed to have been the pharaoh from The Bible, and thus Moses' step-brother. Whether that's true or not is arguable, but Ramesses has mythical status.

Furthermore, he became the greatest builder in the history of Ancient Egypt, giving us structures that still stand today. In fact, our founders visited the Obelisk in Paris, a 3,000+ year old structure that was built for Ramesses' temple and was given to the French as a gift.

But this isn't one of the hundreds of book about Ramesses II, this is about his dad, Seti I.

Like we said, this book has a day-by-day, stream-of-consciousness kinda approach that can seem authentic, genuine, and interesting to some while being flat and boring to others. For example, there's one part of the book that discusses a “catfish problem” in which a large gathering of the fish has disrupted the flow of the river and a building project. Seti comes to believe that the fish have been accidentally summoned as part of birthing rituals. This is a good example of something that could be amusing and even cute to some, but could come across as a waste of time and a disruption of pacing to others. Another example is when Seti talks about his son getting a pet lion and trying to train it to be used in battle. Well, ok then...

There were several things we found especially captivating and compelling about this book: 1. Seti's various flings and relationships outside of marriage that each had their own stories and consequences, 2. Seti's tenuous and ultimately tragic relationship with his son, the spare prince: Paramessu.

Along the way, Seti is also very engaged in building projects, particularly his temple and elaborate tomb, one of the most incredible of the ancient world. He is also engaged in several military conflicts, particularly with the Hittites. The Assyrians also pose a threat as a neighboring kingdom.

However, despite all that, and despite the title, this isn't a book about wars, architecture, or engineering, it's a book about a father and his sons at the end of his reign.

Seti's own father, Ramesses I, only reigned for one and a half years, dying suddenly and unexpectedly. His first wife, Baketwernel, also got malaria from mosquito bites. She wasted away, unable to have any more children, and died. So, Seti is aware that death will come for him eventually, and that it is important to think about the hereafter—about succession.

Before her life-changing and life-ending illness, Baketwernel was able to have one child with Seti, a boy named Paramessu.

Paramessu, in a sense, is the tragic, Machiavellian villain of this book. Yet, he is also near and dear to Seti's heart. Seti views him as a “fine soldier and wonderful young man.” Yet, he grows to become much like Edmund from King Lear, jealous, envious, power hungry, and spiteful.

Growing up without a mother, surrounded by death, treated as second-best by everyone, and having a dad who is obsessed with power probably didn't help that.

What could happen to trigger Paramessu getting trapped in coffin that ending up in the river like the story of Set and Osiris?

Speaking of which, that core Egyptian myth (about Set and Osiris) is interwoven into this book like a tapestry. The pharaoh, Seti, is viewed as “Horus on earth.” Horus, if you don't know, is essentially the hero of that myth as the son of Osiris who avenges his father on Set. It's fitting granted what happens in this book.

Seti (in this book) also had a lot of romantic relationships and flings that we found interesting. However, perhaps the most fascinating is the relationship he had with Bentreshyt, a priestess of Isis, the fertility goddess. Bentreshyt may have been one of the only people whom Seti truly loved as he pined for her constantly. However, her ending is twisted and tragic. This is also one of the instances in which Seti—the king—finds himself in direct conflict with the high priest, also a very powerful figure in their society. The tension is so palpable that you can cut it with a knife!

Seti's severity regarding both his treacherous son and adulterous partner are akin to rulers at the time. Does this make him a monster? A villain? Perhaps to some. Times were very different then. It's interesting to read Seti reflect on these things with sadness, regret, and remorse.

This book also has some beautifully written parts. For example:

“The mysteries of motivation lay in the master’s hands. He knows the secrets of our hearts. All we can do is follow the winding path he leads us along and 'dance in the moment.'”

“Inside, my heart is the one that howls with pain, grief, guilt, and most of all, shame. Yes, shame, for the tragedy of my son’s rebellion, hangs upon my heart like a shroud.”

Check it out on Amazon!