I had always enjoyed reading B.Wood... until now. I could not follow the history because never was interesting for me. I found the same history in others novels about Egypt. I don't recomend it

Disregard the review written by the reader from Sabtiago, Chile. That person obviously doesn't have a very good command of the English language. If you want to know something about academia, field archaeology, life in a village in Upper Egypt, or something of the Ancient Egyptian culture, read this book! I am an academic engaged in field archaeology in Egypt. Except the ramantic episodes and the supernatural events, I thought Ms. Wood was writing about me as I read her book, only she made it a lot more interesting.

This was the most riveting book I've read in a long time. I found it at a used book store and had it read it one night! From page one, it was filled with action and suspense.

I love books with a religous twist to them and Egypt is another fond subject of mine. I would love to know the research Wood put into this book, for it seems so real and matter of fact.

I know this book is out of print, but I know Amazon can find it for you soon. It's a great read that'll have you looking for more Barbara in the Wood.

This is not the best novel of Barbara, the story is interesting and may be could be real, I am not a doctor but if this story could be real we have to learn a lots more of the human body.
In general I like more The Virgins of Paradise, Green City in the Sun or Sacred Ground is more her writing style.

I purchased this book a few years back. We took it with us on vacation. When the vacation had neared it's ending nearly every adult in our group of 11 had read the book, thoroughly enjoyed it and was ready to discuss it around the campfire. It made for some fasinating conversation. I was amazed how such a close knit group of people could all read the same book and come to so many logical conclusions. Set in modern times it's a well written, gripping, emotional, exciting, thought provoking, controversial, entertaining & well researched American novel. Another reason why Barbara Wood is an undiscovered American Treasure.

This, I understand, was Barbara Wood's first foray into literature, and pretty good for a first effort. Even as a woman myself, however, I found the feminist tone rather overwhelming. Such stuff was highly fashionable during the early eighties, when this book first came out. The style seemed more melodramatic than I like, and the dialogue sometimes shallow, sometimes contrived. Samantha Hargrave's life story is too crushing. The best things about this book, which I first read a few years ago and just finished for the second time, were the anecdotal presentation of what it was like for a woman to struggle through medical school and beyond in the late nineteenth century, and the haunting love story. Out of the dozens and dozens of books I have read, this is one of the comparative few that has made it into my personal collection.

Can't believe this book is out of print. Have just found it on someones bookshelf, and was anxious to read it after having read Virgins of Paradise. I loved this book. Barbara Wood's female characters are strong and yet constantly feminine. I particularly enjoy the way in which Ms Wood entwines such rich historical content and topics into her stories. I am impressed by the extensive research she must undertake.

This book was used in my medical terminolgy in college and it really explain conditions of the body very well. It is also very easily understood.

I really love Barbara Wood. I have read many of her books and found most of them very readable and enjoyable. This one is not up to her standards. Repetative! I found myself skipping paragraphs! I will read Sacred Ground next. I hope it is better. If you want a good Barbara Wood-try The Dreaming or Virgins of Paradise.

Why is this book out of print? Barbara Wood bring out such an unusual storyline in this haunting tale. A young woman goes back to her grand mothers house in England to what she thinks is to be a boring visit with an old and dying grandfather. The grandfathers' family is taboo and never discussed, it's dark secrets never revealed, until they start playing their life out infront of her eyes. Is she going mad? Eventually she doesn't care, because the lives she sees...... well that would be telling, wouldn't it! I thought it was a good story and a great read!

I just read this book in German (I am a German exchange student, 16 years of age) over the last weekend. I couln't lay it out of my hand until I knew what really happened. I am a big fan of Barbara Wood's books, but this one bount me more than I could imagine. It absorbed me so much. I advise it to everyone, no matter which age or what kind of books prefered. This one is incredible!

At the beginning is an interesting book, but in the middle of it it goes out of the story so many times that is a little boring, and at the end, when Colin talk to Leyla you will know everything he is going to say to her (because Leyla deducted before) and Leyla get impressed at the conversation.
Many things of the book are taken out of the hand (I can't write them right here because I will tell you the end of the story) so the story gets a good end.
On the other hand, the story is a good one because all the members of the family, except one, want her own good by keeping a secret that will hurt Leyla, at least is what they think.
I put three stars to the book because is not what I expected of Barbara, but I recommend to read it you will have a good time.

Leyla Pemberton returns home to Pemberton Hurst after the death of her mother and a twenty year absence. She remembers little of the time she spent her first five years of life there, save for the fact that she was severely traumatised by witnessing the death of her father and brother and has no memory of the incident.

Her relatives are strangers to her, a grandmother who rules the house with an iron fist from her room, nervous Aunt Anna, sickly uncle Henry, eccentric cousin Martha, boorish cousin Colin and Theo, her eldest cousin who is the only one to welcome her.

What are they hiding?

Shocked by Leyla's return, the residents of Pemberton Hurst have no choice but to give up their secret. All the Pembertons are cursed...

Leyla doesn't believe it and sets out on her own investigation into her father and brother's deaths. Her enquiries are fraught with danger, because there is someone who doesn't want her to remember that fateful day, but who?

This is a well paced and plotted novel, a real page turner. The historical detail is very accurate, but without detracting from the story so that it reads like a novel rather than a history lesson. Leyla is a very likeable character, and I could almost see cousin Martha sitting everywhere, her knitting needles clicking away.

My one gripe would be the spelling. It is written in the first person, supposedly by Leyla, a young Victorian English lady, but her spelling was American. It distracted from the story when supposedly reading about an English girl going to "the center of the coppice." She would have spelled it "centre."

Despite the American spelling, (which is really just a personal opinion) it was a good read, something to curl up with on a rainy day and let the outside world disappear.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams.

I am a great Barbara Wood (Kathryn Harvey ) fan. Out of the 8 of her books I have read, unfortunately, this one is my least favorite. I really enjoy getting involved with the people and places in her novels. She has the most amazing way of including you in the story so that you feel as if you know the people and have been to the places described. In Hounds and Jackals, unfortunately, you don't get that oportunity. It is a good story, with lots of intrigue and twists, but lacks the informative bulk of information she usually puts in her other books. All her other books I have really thoroughly enjoyed so don't be put off!

This book is not the style of Barbara, it doesn't compare the past with the present, it is a detectives story but is an easy reading book.

Interesting theme. Unfortunatley the author repeats herself regularly and makes to much use of cliches.

At the beginning of the book, when Sondra, Ruth and Mickey met, and began to study medicine, tried to solve their problems, their family and became best friends is a very good story, after that, when each one finished and went each one to work to another part of the world, the only good story is Sondra's, the story of Mickey is good but not as Sondra's story, and the story of the selfish Ruth is the worst, another thing is that they are always best friends and they saw each other only once in more than fourteen years, is that possible?

There is some misinformation and lots of typos in this book. I would not rely on this study guide to pass an exam.