Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel [Paperback]

Michelle Moran (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 2010

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.


From the Hardcover edition.

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.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; Reprint edition (July 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307409139
• ISBN-13: 978-0307409133
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (189 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michelle Moran was born in the San Fernando Valley, CA. She took an interest in writing from an early age, purchasing Writer's Market and submitting her stories and novellas to publishers from the time she was twelve. When she was accepted into Pomona College she took as many classes as possible in British Literature, particularly Milton, Chaucer, and the Bard. Not surprisingly, she majored in English while she was there. Following a summer in Israel where she worked as a volunteer archaeologist, she earned an MA from the Claremont Graduate University.

Michelle has traveled around the world, from Zimbabwe to India, and her experiences at archaeological sites were what inspired her to write historical fiction. She is the international bestselling author of Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, and Cleopatra's Daughter. Her fourth novel, Madame Tussaud, was released on February 15, 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

JLee "JLee" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel (Hardcover)

(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.

56 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

Louise "TiggerLou" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel (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.

30 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Michelle Moran, July 1, 2009

By 

ILizbeth - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel (Hardcover)

I was beyond lucky in being able to snag myself a galley of this novel. I had seen the website created for the book and watched the trailer - which was awesome, btw, and one of the better book trailers I've seen - and knew I wanted to get my hands on this puppy as soon as it came off the press. I had read on Michelle Moran's website that this book would be marketed to both adults and YA, and I was wondering how that would work, but Moran pulls it off seamlessly.

Because Selene, the narrator of the novel - and Cleopatra's Daughter - starts off so young, I think this book will have a wide appeal to young adult readers. I also think that the rich Roman history, the story of Queen Cleopatra and Marc Antony, and the politics of ancient Rome will appeal to adults.

The novel begins in Alexandria, with the death of Selene's famous parents. Their suicides mean that three young children are left behind, and these are the children Octavian takes with him to Rome. Selene, who has a twin brother name Alexander, narrates the tale and takes readers from the shores of Egypt to the dirty city of Rome, an empire still very much in the making.

I won't give the plot away except to say that there is a mystery which will definitely entertain younger readers, and it has to do with a slave rebellion. With Spartacus fresh in leaders' memories, Rome is on edge. An with the arrival of Marc Antony and Cleopatra's children in the city, a new level of tension is added.

Okay, so that is the longest review I've ever written for a book, but it's because it's really that good. I am now a dedicated fan of Michelle Moran. Bring on book 4!