Fans of the HBO miniseries “Rome” will delight in Michelle Moran’s latest historical fiction offering “Cleopatra’s Daughter” because it pretty much picks up where that series was canceled. ..but that’s certainly not a prerequisite to enjoy this engaging book.
This book was exciting, fascinating and a wonderfully educational escape right from page one. Told from the perspective of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony’s daughter, Kleopatra Selene, Cleopatra’s Daughter offers us a unique glimpse of imperialist Rome through the eyes of an outsider. It was easy for the author to weave facts and informative tidbits into the storyline because of that fresh perspective.
At the age of ten, Selene and her twin brother Alexander are taken to Rome as spoils of war and lovingly raised by Cesar’s (Augustus) sister Octavia. They are trapped in a world of privilege and riches, yet they are also prisoners and know that by their birth alone they are a threat and could be eliminated at whim. Selene is determined to keep the last of the Ptolemy family together and is most concerned with making herself and Alexander indispensable to Cesar. Selene is often shocked at how barbaric Rome can be (particularly concerning slaves and the corruption of government); and the plight of slaves is a big sub-theme in the book.
It is obvious that Michelle Moran did her research and outside of getting the history right, she has crafted a very well told story and brought these figures vibrantly back to life. Cleopatra’s Daughter was a joy to read and also very informative. I highly recommend giving this one a look.
Newsflash: I even got my husband to read this book. He has read 2 books for pleasure in the past 9 years.
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