SISTERS OF SINAI
By Janet Soskice
Chatto & Windus. 338 pages. £18.99
ISBN 978-0-70117-341-8
Victorian women don’t always live up to their stereotypes.
Agnes and Margaret Smith, born in 1843, the twin daughters of a Scottish lawyer, had a huge passion for travel and adventure, especially in Bible lands. They were also quite extraordinary in their literary and linguistic ability, mostly self-taught and pursued with dogged determination. They were able to speak Aramaic, Greek, Arabic, and other languages as well.
