It is the first century B.C. Cleopatra, the third of the pharaoh's six children, is the one that her father has chosen to be the next queen of Egypt. But when King Ptolemy is forced into exile, Cleopatra is left alone to fend for herself in a palace rife with intrigue and murder. Smart, courageous, ambitious and sensuously beautiful, she possesses the charm to cause two of history's most famous leaders to fall in love with her. But as her cruel sisters plot to steal the throne, Cleopatra realizes there is only one person on whom she can rely--herself.
Cleopatra Confesses
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Cleopatra Confesses
Carolyn Meyer. S&S/Wiseman, $16.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4169-8727-7
Before she was a queen, Cleopatra was a girl, and Meyer's incarnation of the future monarch longs to be treated as normal--wandering the marketplace, learning to dance--even as she secretly hopes to someday rule Egypt. Meyer's short chapters can occasionally make the narrative feel choppy, but her lush, detail-rich prose ably evokes Cleopatra's life as a young princess, beginning at age 10 and continuing on until she turns 22. During this time, readers are treated to royal intrigue and the cutthroat politics of Cleopatra's two older sisters, Tryphaena and Berenike, who are desperate to prevent Cleopatra's rule, since she is the favorite daughter of their father, King Ptolemy XII. This is sibling rivalry at its most vicious: crossing her sisters could cost Cleopatra her life, let alone her throne. The arrival of Marcus Antonius midway through the novel (and later of Julius Caesar) provides only the briefest hint of romance--Meyer (The Bad Queen) roots her heroine squarely in the realm of politics. Narrating with the poise and confidence of a born leader, this Cleopatra should win readers over. Ages 12–up.
--Publishers Weekly, May 9, 2011
4Q 3P M J S A/YA
Meyer, Carolyn. Cleopatra Confesses. Simon & Schuster, 2011. 304p. $16.99. 978-1-4169-8727-7. Biblio, Source Notes, Chronology.
With this latest title, Meyer continues her trend in writing engaging, historical fiction. As with her previous books on historical figures, this story is told in first person, providing readers with an intimate feel to Cleopatra’s life from age ten to her death by suicide. As Meyer relates in the author’s notes at the end of the book, Cleopatra remains a largely mysterious figure as there is little information about her life. Despite this scarcity of information, Meyer weaves a plausible plot integrating historical facts and her own creative narrative, complete with secondary characters that may or may not have existed. Cleopatra is portrayed as a beautiful, resourceful leader whose quest for power and royalty appear to be based on an altruistic belief that she truly can make a positive difference for Egypt and its people. Value-added resources at the end of the book include the author’s notes, a bibliography, websites, a time line, a list of Egyptian gods and goddesses, and an explanation of the Egyptian calendar.
This well-crafted tale will definitely appeal to fans of historical fiction dealing with ancient Egypt and those who have a particular interest in one of the world’s most fascinating female leaders. In addition, the book will serve nicely as an introduction to historical fiction for book clubs focusing on this genre, or as a read-aloud to introduce students in social studies classes to the time period.—Donna Miller.
VOYA June 2011
About the Author
CAROLYN MEYER is the celebrated author of more than fifty books for young people, many of which have received awards and honors. She lives with her husband in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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My first book, MISS PATCH'S LEARN-TO-SEW BOOK, published more than forty years ago, was intended to teach young girls how to knot thread, make a neat stitch, and sew simple items. The main character of my next book, CLEOPATRA CONFESSES, coming in June 2011, is a far cry from the roundish, gray-haired lady with a needle in her hand and spectacles on her nose. Since the thrill of seeing that first book in print, I've written over fifty more books, non-fiction and novels (most recently, historical fiction). In the process I've learned more about writing and a lot about history, a subject that was not my favorite when I was a young student but has become my passion--a passion I love to share with readers.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating Historical Fiction Novel,
This review is from: Cleopatra Confesses (Hardcover)
Historical fiction has always been one of my favorite genres and when you add Carolyn Meyer and Cleopatra to the mix you are sure to have a winner. I have enjoyed quite a few of Meyer's books and this one was no exception. With stunning imagery, fantastic descriptions, and a wonderful mixture of real and fictional characters; Cleopatra Confesses was an overall riveting and thought-provoking look at the life of one of histories most well known females.
Cleopatra is a mysterious women and it was fascinating reading about her life through the years. This book spans many years- from Cleopatra's childhood to her teenage years to her adult life. Many details are included and this was an incredibly captivating novel. It certainly inspired me to read more about Cleopatra. Especially concerning her family and later life. Not much is known about Cleopatra, but I feel Carolyn Meyer deftly weaved together her story and presented it in an interesting and unique way. At the beginning of the book there was a family tree and a list of characters (letting us know who was fictional and who was real) and this helped put a lot into perspective. Each of the characters introduced in this book had some impact on Cleopatra's life and all were well developed. There was so much I didn't know about Cleopatra and Egypt that I learned from reading this and Meyer's attention to detail made Cleopatra Confesses that much better. Plus, this was written in first person and allowed readers even more insight into Cleopatra's thoughts. It is obvious that Carolyn Meyer did a lot of research and it paid off completely. One of my favorite things about historical fiction is how I become completely immersed in the time period, setting, and characters. I definitely fell into Cleopatra's story and I felt for her because her life was never easy; especially growing up. She had so few people she could trust and her own sisters were horrid. I did like her friend, Charmion, because Cleopatra needed a confidant and friend during the harsh times she faced. As I mentioned before, there were a mix of fictional and real characters in this book and two that really existed- Julius Ceaser and Mark Antony- were also introduced in Cleopatra Confesses. This was the one aspect of the book that dropped this down to four stars. The book had me so captivated with Cleopatra's story that I just gobbled up every detail, but the ending just felt a little... rushed. Everything was leading up to her adult life and I wish more pages were devoted to her relationships with Ceaser and Antony and her own period of ruling Egypt. I took a lot away from this book and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I just wish there were a few more chapters expanding on her loves and ruling. Cleopatra is a very interesting historical figure, and although not much is known about her, Carolyn Meyer wrote a fascinating and insightful novel that brought her to life. Although I wished the ending wasn't cut-off so fast, I enjoyed this book and it cemented Carolyn Meyer on my life of favorite historical fiction authors. Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cleopatra,
By Jennifer Rummel - YABookNerd (Norwich, CT) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cleopatra Confesses (Hardcover)
Cleopatra knows that she could become a great ruler - someday. Right now, she's busy learning about her country with her tutors. She's also learning how to rule from her father. All of the lessons are not positive.In fact, before too long, the people have turned against their pharaoh. Cleopatra's sisters decide to rule jointly. Cleopatra learns to watch her step and her tongue. She's determined to give her sisters nothing to cause them worry about her behavior. She sticks to her studies and learns from the mistakes her family makes. Will she be able to one day fulfill the destiny she sees for herself? My Thoughts: The childhood of Cleopatra comes to life as she deals with growing up, betrayal, family drama, and deadly sisters. I really enjoyed reading about her family life and the stress and struggles before ruling.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Promising, but too rushed.,
This review is from: Cleopatra Confesses (Hardcover)
I'm a big-time history buff, and I've always been interested in the story of Cleopatra VII. However, Carolyn Meyer's rapid-fire, episodic style, which suited her Tudor books so well, falls flat in this volume.
Maybe I'm the problem. However much I love Cleopatra, the Tudors are my true passion (and I'm not referring to any of those terrible TV shows or movies), so I am emotionally invested in any story about them from the beginning. However, Cleopatra's tale is so dramatic, and plays out on such a grand scale, that for me, it needs a human touch. I need to feel deeply about the characters, about this particular author's perceptions of Berenice, Tryphaena, Ptolemy, Marc Antony, Caesar, and especially Cleopatra, if I am to care about the climax. For me, the tragedy occurs in reading about the death of Cleopatra and with her, the age of the Pharoahs, without so much as a twinge of sorrow. That was my reaction to this book. Overall, I think a more coherent, lingering narrative would have served the grand old tragedy better.
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