February Time Travelers’ Book Club - Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

What do“Beowulf”, the Arthurian Legends, and the book Mara, Daughter of the Nile have in common? They were each published or set far back in time, during the period 500 – 1300 BC . . . and each of the titles was shared at the February, 2026 meeting of the museum’s Time Travelers’ Book Club.

“Beowulf”, an epic Anglo-Saxon poem, is 3,182 lines in length. Composed in Old English, Beowulf features heroic battles and a focus on the hero’s life and death. The Arthurian Legends are all about knighthood, when a code of honor was of utmost importance. Knights were expected to be staunchly loyal to their king, offer warm hospitality, and hold women in high regard. Mara, Daughter of the Nile, by Eloise McGraw, is the fictional story of a beautiful Egyptian slave girl playing the role of a double spy for two enemies who supported two different rivals for Egypt’s throne.

Also presented at the gathering was Muhammad, by Demi, a beautifully illustrated children’s book describing Muhammad’s early life. The Mists of Avalon, written in 1983 by author Marion Zimmer Bradley, introduces the Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table from the perspective of women. Another book shared was The Once and Future King by T. H. White, a collection of fantasy novels about King Arthur, including The Sword and the Stone, loosely based on an earlier work by Mallory.

Join us at our next meeting of the Time Travelers’ Book Club on Sunday, May 3, 2 – 3 pm, upstairs at the museum. Enjoy a cup of tea and a lively discussion of books with a publishing date – or setting, from 1300-1500.