The Collector’s Daughter

Eve Herbert’s father, the Earl of Carnarvon, is the chief financial backer of Howard Carter’s archaeological dig that leads to the 1922 discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun. For 18-year-old Eve, who longs to be an archaeologist, the opportunity to enter the sealed tomb and burial chamber with Carter is life-changing. Paul’s novel alternates between two decades. In the 1920s, Eve travels to Egypt, is formally introduced into British society, and meets her future husband. In the 1970s, an elderly and confused Eve has irreparable memory loss after several debilitating strokes. In 1972, Egyptian archaeologist Ana Mansour seeks Eve out to solve an archaeological mystery and reclaim allegedly lost artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb. Eve’s memory is challenged, as her past and present threaten to collide. Does she harbor decades-old historical secrets? Is there a curse tied to Tutankhamun’s tomb?