The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two — … two — the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander — survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.
The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian’s bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.
Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place — the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.
Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.
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This is a great story, well-written and researched. In addition to enjoying the novel, I appreciate the Historical Notes section near the end and the glossary. In the notes, she covers some items that I wondered if they would have existed at that time (and apparently they did). She also referred to some of her resource documents which were …
I have a great deal of difficulty keeping up with the names of characters relating to History. If I put the book down for a task, I can’t remember who has done what. I’m sure the book was historically correct and the fault is mine.
This started out interesting, then got slower and slower until I put it down.
Loved this book, couldn’t put it down.
It didn’t seem like there was a plot. For several chapters it seemed like all it was about was to describe ancient Rome in details from the architecture to the roman characters. I was half way through and just quit reading. If all you want to know is history, you may enjoy this book.
I loved this book, all of her books are fantastic! Full oh history and the characters are so realistic.
Well written and researched historical fiction. The characters were believable and the plot was entertaining and very informative of the era.
GayL
Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Highly recommend
I got bogged down in the early part of this book and couldn’t get into it. It might have been easier to read as a paper copy rather than an e-book so you could turn to the front for maps and a who’s who name list.
Well researched, but made strange character choices totally at odds with how the historical people behaved.
I thoroughly enjoyed Michelle Moran’s book about Kleopatra’s daughter. She is a good researcher and Selene was a good subject. Selene’s twin brother, Alexander, was killed when he came of age, which was 15 in those days, and the twins were very close, according to Moran. Moran indicates that Alexander was a gannymede-a gay man. The lives of …
The first half of the book bordered on boring. It got more interesting but never became a compelling read.
Very interesting and informative history
This book really brought these (real) characters to life. I love history and even tho a novel, the author did go along with the true history very much. I do recommend this book very highly!
I love Michelle Moran’s books. This one did not disappoint. It is a historical fiction that brings to life the story of Cleopatras daughter. Great read!!
Wonder if this book was or is true!
I really enjoyed this book. Informative and entertaining. Even though I have read about this topic before, this book helps to reconnect with that time in history. The harshness and cruelty is something that we tend to forget about, and harsh it was I had a hard time putting it down. Teresa C. Knoxville, Tn
Great information but I thought the story dragged.
A thoroughly entertaining historical novel based on an actual personage supported by research. Well written and externality a character new to me.
I’m a huge fan of anything written by Michelle Moran.