The Little Goddess - e-book - www.amazon.co.uk

Anne Maria Clarke talking about taking The Little Goddess to Philae Temple in southern Egypt before publication

“There was one very special place that The Little Goddess had to go, before ever it was released for publication – and that was to the exquisitely beautiful  Temple of the Goddess, on the island of Philae in Egypt’s deepest south.

The Victorians who travelled down the Nile before us called this place – the fairy temple of Egypt– and the writer Lucy Duff Gordon proclaimed it, ‘the most beautiful sight my eyes ever saw.’

It is without doubt the spiritual and earthly home of The Little Goddess and the source of its creation.

After the book was completed, quite a few years ago now, I had the very great privilege of coming to Philae with my husband. It was more beautiful than I’d  dreamed sitting at my desk, thousands of miles away in England, working with just a couple of old photos and my imagination.

We booked the services of a boatman to ferry us across to the island before dawn with our packed breakfasts from The Old Cateract Hotel, several large bottles of water and the completed manuscript   safely stowed in my bag. Only a couple of temple guards were present when we arrived. They gave us hot, sweet, mint tea then left us free to explore the silent spaces of the temple that Jamila, the stories time-travelling heroine  - and Mia and her mother –the priestesses she meets - inhabit in the story .

It was such a magical feeling, being alone, walking barefoot through the hushed interiors as the sun began to rise but we didn’t feel alone at all – it was as if we had joined a never-ending stream of pilgrims, travellers of yesteryear, priests and priestess, seekers of wonder and  beauty through the ages, all just one long procession, weaving in and out of time and dimension, ordinary souls like us, mingling with the ancients and storybook characters alike.

There is a moment in The Little Goddess , where Jamila performs the ceremony of the rising sun for the first time. It came to mind vividly as the great orange orb of the sun rose before us that day.

“Great Star,” she begins,
“who is Mother and Father to the earth upon which I stand,
And to all the creatures within the orbit of your embracing rays,
I greet your rising.
As the flower lifts it’s head and opens its petals,
To the glory of your majesty,
So I too open my body and heart to the warmth of your embrace.”

As we left the island the sun was quite high in the sky and the temple was flooded with golden light. The first tourist boats were starting to arrive. We were sad to leave and glanced back longingly several times but we had done what we came to do, to say thank you for the story and the inspiration,

 thank you, thank you, thank you!

Available at amazon.co.uk

YouTube e.book trailer

 "What I tell you, let the singer weave into a song.
What I tell you, let it pass from old to young......."

The Little Goddess 
A time-traveling adventure for 14 year old Jamila who finds herself mysteriously transported to an exquisite, moonlit Temple in ancient Egypt following an asthma attack in the British Museum. There she meets Mia, a young girl identical to herself, who is the newly initiated High Priestess of the Temple.
Together they must find a way to rescue Mia's mother from the wicked Pharaoh and restore the rightful heir to the throne before disaster overcomes the land.
Both girls are pushed to their limits - the choices they make have implications far beyond themselves - the outcome is shaped by them alone.

Reader's Reviews -

"The little Goddess will take you on a truly magical journey!
I first read this book when i was a young teenager on a trip to Egypt. I found it a truly magical experience that coupled with the setting in which it was read transported me on an enchanting journey.

Would highly recommend the read!"

Please ADD your review at Amazon.co.uk

 Also see Anne Maria Clarke's YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/c/annemariaclarke
 

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www.soundandlight.com.eg/shows/philaehome.