Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel [Hardcover]

Michelle Moran (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 15, 2009

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– 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Moran's latest foray into the world of classical history (after The Heretic Queen) centers upon the children of Marc Antony and Cleopatra . After the death of their parents, twins Alexander and Selene and younger brother Ptolemy are in a dangerous position, left to the mercy of their father's greatest rival, Octavian Caesar. However, Caesar does not kill them as expected, but takes the trio to Rome to be paraded as part of his triumphant return and to demonstrate his solidified power. As the twins adapt to life in Rome in the inner circle of Caesar's family, they grow into adulthood ensconced in a web of secrecy, intrigue and constant danger. Told from Selene's perspective, the tale draws readers into the fascinating world of ancient Rome and into the court of Rome's first and most famous emperor. Deftly encompassing enough political history to provide context, Moran never clutters her narrative with extraneous facts. Readers may be frustrated that Selene is more observer than actor, despite the action taking place around her, but historical fiction enthusiasts will delight in this solid installment from a talented name in the genre. (Sept.)
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Review

“The story I always wanted to read! If you love I, Claudius, you’ll love this book!”
—Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author of The Memoirs of Cleopatra

“Michelle Moran has already made Ancient Egypt her own fictional domain. With this compelling novel of the legendary Cleopatra’s daughter, she now stakes a claim to Ancient Rome, too.”
—Sharon K. Penman, New York Times bestselling author of Devil’s Brood

“Cleopatra’s Daughter is historical fiction at its finest. With her exquisite attention to detail and her beautifully crafted characters, Michelle Moran does not just visit the past–she resurrects it.”
—Deanna Raybourn, bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey series

“No one captures the immediacy and rich detail of the ancient world quite like Michelle Moran.”
—bestselling author Robin Maxwell

“From the tragic fall of Cleopatra’s Alexandria to the treacherous hills of imperial Rome, Michelle Moran spins a captivating tale of the daughter of Egypt’s most famous queen, a princess whose courageous determination to survive is as exciting and dramatic as the time in which she lived.”
—C. W. Gortner, author of The Last Queen

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1st edition (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307409120
• ISBN-13: 978-0307409126
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.4 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (229 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #489,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MICHELLE MORAN is the international bestselling author of Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, Cleopatra's Daughter, and Madame Tussaud. Her experiences at archaeological sites around the world motivated her to write historical fiction and continue to provide inspiration for her novels. Her fifth book, The Second Empress, comes out August 14, 2012.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 61 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Second Cleopatra in Rome August 26, 2009

By JLee VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Cleopatra's Daughter tells the story of Cleopatra VII's children in the aftermath of the great queen's death. The viewpoint is that of the very likeable Cleopatra Selene, who, along with her twin brother Alexander Helios and younger brother Ptolemy, were the children of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony.

The orphaned children are hauled off to Rome and into the home of Octavia, where Selene's life becomes entwined with some of the great figures of Ancient Rome, including Octavian, his wife Livia, his daughter Julia, and the future emperor Tiberius. The children dwell in uncertainty, never knowing if they will be allowed to live, or what their future hopes might be - - and I don't want to give away too much of what happens. But, remember, all those around Octavian had reason to be cautious, if not actually fearful.

An enthralling aspect of the book is how the author has carefully portrayed not only Ancient Rome itself, but also what is known of the personalities of these famous Romans. We meet a willful young Julia and a sinister young Tiberius, and we know exactly who they are and what they will be like when they grow up.

Almost all of the action takes place in Rome, so the book may be of more interest to those wanting to read about Rome than those wanting to read about Egypt.

A brief timeline and list of characters at the beginning of the book and a glossary at the end help those who may need a refresher in who's who and what's what.

There is a fictional subplot about the search for the leader of an underground anti-slavery movement that I sometimes found to be distracting. I personally would have wished that the author had spent less time on him and on Selene's youth and continued on to Selene's adulthood, especially after her marriage (or is there a sequel planned?). However, younger readers especially may not care about that and may identify more with Selene growing up (this book is suitable for teens and adults), and I do admire the author for having the courage to introduce such serious themes as slavery and abandoned children.

Cleopatra Selene certainly lived an interesting life (not always in the best way) and must have been a fascinating and admirable person. Her life "after the book" is summarized in the Afterword.

72 of 87 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars couldn't finish it, very disappointed July 21, 2010

By Louise

Format:Hardcover

I had high hopes for this book.

I've recently finished Colleen McCullough's Roman series and I was hungry for more. When I heard of a book that fills in the years between the battle of Actium and Robert Graves' "I Claudius", I eagerly snapped it up.

Unfortunately, this author has no business trying to enter the company of Graves and McCullough.

Many other reviewers here have already pointed out a number of inaccuracies in this book, as well as the superficiality of its characters. But that's simply bad writing. If that was the only problem, I wouldn't have bothered writing this review. But there's another problem with this book that I must speak up about.

The author draws Selene as if she's a teenager from Boston, who's never known anything but liberal politics. A modern American kid, who dozed off during history class the day they talked about Rome --100% clue-free about the ancient world.

Selene is shocked-I-tell-you-shocked! at how Rome treats its lower classes. Oh please.

Selene is the daughter of a Pharaoh, who essentially owned all of Egypt. So did all Egyptian slaves have health insurance and pension plans? She lived in the household of a head of state who went to war against Rome and her father was a Roman. How could she be so laughably ignorant about it when she arrives?

The historical Selene would have known *precisely* how severe the punishments would be for slaves attempting to assasinate a ruler, in Rome or out of it. Instead we get a time-travelling American teenager who thinks it's completely unfair to take away her iPod, let alone execute slaves. Oh the shock, the horror!

Enough. I can't read another page of this drivel. Done now.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful historical Fiction that gave life to a name:Cleopatra November 29, 2009

By Sheila A. Dechantal

Format:Hardcover

Michelle Moran has written a book that has left me with that feeling I have when I know I have read something wonderful. Well written... I entered at the point that Cleopatra and Marc Anthony are taking their own lives in order to resist captivity and learn of their three children who are left in the enemies hands. Three children, I am ashamed to say, that I did not know existed until this book.

And from that point on I am feasting on pages filled with the adventures of Alexander and Selene... historical fiction at a very fine level. I am in awe of the twins voices... as they speak I had to remind myself again and again of their age. The voices to me seamed older but I forget how much faster children grew up then. While they were 11, they spoke as though they were 15 or 16...

Vivid characters - I appreciated the list of who they were in the front of the book and I used that a lot as I becasme used to so any new names coming in at once, Octavian (Emporer and keeper of the children once he conquered their home), Octavia, his sister - a gentle soul who I grew to like. And so many more from the handsome Marcellus, to the puzzling Julia who drove me nuts, then I felt bad for her, then I was mad again... and oh - you have to love the characters that make you FEEL.

I adored this book. This is the first of Michelle's work that I have read and I am ready for more. A fantastic read that I highly recommend to history lovers and historical fiction loves alike.