When My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon [Paperback]

Frances Park (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2001

An enchanting and very moving novel about the bond between two sisters growing up first generation Korean-American is now in paperback. Cleo was everything her little sister Marcy wanted to be: beautiful, alluring, and fiercely independent. But when Cleo comes home from college Marcy realizes that her older sister is no longer the person she once idolized. Their summer together is a tramatic one, of emerging sexuality and a sudden death. When My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon transcends all borders with its universal story of the importanceand inevitabilityof family.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Frances Park shows what a woman writer can achieve with such rich material at hand." -- The Singapore Strait Times

"Park's poignant novel... comes to us as a cautionary tale about the perils of the American dream." -- The Korea Times

"This is a delicate, humane, funny novel... that stands within the best tradition of imaginative writing." -- The Taipei Times

About the Author

Frances Park lives in Washington, D.C. Her previous publications include a children's book, co-authored with her sister Ginger, entitled My Freedom Trip: A Child's Escape from North Korea, winner of the 1999 International Reading Association Children's Book Award. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Miramax; Reprint edition (June 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786886455
• ISBN-13: 978-0786886456
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,539,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Frances Park began writing furiously as a ten-year-old on her father's Underwood typewriter. Blue ribbon, onionskin paper - click, click, click! In high school, she was published by Columbia University and the Evening Star newspaper. Decades later, she's still clicking away.

One of the earliest authors to write about contemporary Korean-American life, Frances has penned numerous short stories and novels including the heartbreaking "When My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon". In addition, she and her sister Ginger have co-authored five highly praised children's books including "My Freedom Trip: A Child's Escape from North to South Korea", winner of The International Reading Association Award; "The Royal Bee", winner of The Joan B. Sugarman Award; and "Good-bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong", described by Newsweek magazine as "the perfect all-American story".

Frances has been interviewed on 'Good Morning America', CNN, the Diane Rehm Show, and National Public Radio. When she's not in writing mode, she's at Chocolate Chocolate, a sweet boutique in Washington, DC where she and her sis share bonbons and chat with customers. Indeed the two have written a memoir which was released on May 10, 2011. "CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE: The True Story of Two Sisters, Tons of Treats, and the Little Shop That Could" embraces sisterhood, the Great American Dream, romance, the immigrant experience, customers who came through their doors as strangers and left as friends, and a quarter century of dripping chocolate love.

Please visit Frances at www.parksisters.com or at www.chocolatedc.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars tapestries of worlds, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: When My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon (Hardcover)

Frances Park has created an absolutely mesmerizing character in the form of Cleopatra Moon. A young woman with the power to captivate all males who cross her path, expressed in terms which are both poetic and sensually unique to Ms. Park's writing style. As the novel progresses we are provided with clues which indicate that turbulent and unexpectedly vulnerable inner worlds exist within Cleopatra and her initially adoring younger sister. The story twists and shatters stereotypical expectations with the richness of the characters. Yet in the background we see gradually emerge a loving portrait of an often absent father who becomes a multi-layered symbol for redemption and the re-integration of portions of the soul which the two sisters have misplaced over the years.

The two sisters are very much the product of the American 1970's, yet Ms. Park is also able to masterfully convey the Korean-American experience through the character of the mother and her relationship to the two daughters.

Cleopatra is so charismatic that the reader would initially be willing to fall under her spell for the entire length of the novel. Read Chapter Two as a separate work of art in this regard. Yet Frances Park has done far more than create a host of intriguing characters. She has created situations in which initial suspicions yield to deeper meanings over sometimes traumatic and sometimes wryly humorous flows of time. The reader will reflect upon the nature of his or her own relationships and the continuing impact of unresolved emotions of the past. This is a book to be read several times over.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible story, June 5, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon (Paperback)

Though sisters, Korean-Americans Cleo and Marcy have not talked for years. That changes when the forty-two years old Cleo calls to tell her younger sister that her husband Stu just died. Apparently, the wealthy Stu lost control of the car when lightning suddenly struck right in front of him. Marcy drops everything to race to Cleo's side to help her with the funeral even knowing the true dark side of her sibling and that she probably never loved Stu.

Marcy thinks back to when they were young and she idolized her gorgeous and fiery unconventional (at least in the Korean culture) sister. That is until Cleo left for college, came back on summer break, and left again for school, leaving Marcy to contend with their Korean born mother who never adjusted to her new country. Marcy resented Cleo then and resents her now as she watches a pro shed crocodile tears to gain sympathy from Stu's side.

WHEN MY SISTER WAS CLEOPATRA MOON is an incredible novel that works on three levels: the rivalry between sisters, the Korean-American 1970s experience, and the difficulty of an immigrant to adapt to this country. The story line is insightful yet quite entertaining as readers will appreciate the key players. If this novel is any indication of her talent, Frances Park is going to become a star as she provides her readers with a convincing character study.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Korean Summer Sisters At Last!!!, August 9, 2000

By 

J. Koscher (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon (Hardcover)

I loved this book. Being of Korean decent I am always drawn to Korean books. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read yet. The symbolism and depth of character continues to haunt me after finishing the book last month. Cleo is the older sister who lives life boldly... Marcy whom the story is told by is the exact opposite of Cleo. I most enjoyed the interactions between Marcy and Cleo's two children. The story is funny and quick moving... I could not put it down. I believe the depiction of two women struggling between being Korean and American at the same time (first generational korean that is) was beautifully conveyed to the reader. It's hard to go wrong with this winner!