Cleopatra's Daughter

by Michelle Moran

Book Overview

The incredible untold story of the children of Cleopatra, Egypt's most powerful and notorious ruler--a novel that "brims over with rich details of Roman life, historical personages, and political turmoil" (Romantic Times)--from the internationally bestselling author of Nefertiti and Maria

"Fast-paced, intriguing, and beautifully written."--The Boston Globe

The marriage...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307409139
• ISBN13: 9780307409133
• Release Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Love this book!

I fell in love with Michelle Moran’s writing when I read this book. She’s right up there with the best of historical novel authors. The books begins with Antony and Cleopatra killing themselves and then concentrated on their three children as narrated by Selene. The youngest child dies on the way to Rome. The twin’s story comes to life and I didn’t want it to end.

A wonderful historical Fiction that gave life to a name:Cleopatra

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.

Skillfully written page turner of a book

I don't write this often but Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel is one of the best books I've read this year. Authoress Michelle Moran has skillfully written a page turner that has interwoven a true whodunit mystery throughout the book. Along the way the reader learns about the lives of Selene and her brother Alexander after they are "imprisoned" in Octavian's household. Granted this is pure fiction, based on historical fact, but the writing is so skillful that you seem to be living in their time. Rome, and Roman life, comes alive as we learn about Cleopatra and Alexander. Very highly recommend.

A fascinating Roman holiday!

I am a huge fan of the HBO series Rome: The Complete Series and, since I expected this book to be set in Egypt, meeting old friends and enemies was my first surprise. The masterful story-telling about a fascinating character was my second. The story of Cleopatra's Daughter is deceptively simple. After the deaths of her famous parents, Selene and her two brothers are taken to Rome by Octavian to live with his sister Octavia. In Rome, where ending a day alive is a reason to celebrate, Selene proves she is her mother's daughter as she navigates the tricky maze of her new family's deadly ambitions to pursue her destiny. The pragmatism and situational nature of Roman morality are brilliantly illustrated here, as many children of different combinations of a handful of parents are brought up in the same household to jockey for power and influence. This is the first of Ms. Moran's books I have read, but it won't be the last. The best historical novels contain characters we recognize with enough details we don't to make things interesting. As Ms. Moran points out and illustrates with quotations that could be from contemporary authors, issues we think of as modern, actually aren't. By the same token, life was much cheaper and the possibility of death was ever present for the Romans where the merest hint of ambition could lead to an unfortunate 'accident' engineered by Caesar. Ms. Moran does a very nice job of balancing aspects of the Roman character we share with its more barbaric aspects; for example, the matter of fact attitude toward the practice of leaving unwanted infants out in the open to die. The reader is present at the birth of Western civilization and gets to see how far it has come. By virtue of exhaustive research, Ms. Moran makes the marble houses of the Palatine, the stench of the Subura, Octavian's wily bid to become Emperor, and the giggles of that Roman Valley Girl Julia come alive. Selene is a compelling heroine, with all the intelligence, charm and pride Kleopatra's daughter should have. This world is so rich with sights and smells, when I was forced to stop reading for reasons of nutrition and rest, it took a few minutes to reenter the 21st century. I have no higher praise for an historical novel. Once you've finished the book, please Google Kleopatra Selene to find some fascinating information and images.

Fantastic Historical Read

I have been anxiously awaiting her latest novel CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER for quite awhile -- actually since my book club was fortunate enough to talk with her during one of our meetings last year. Not only did I love both of her prior historical fiction novels NEFERTITI and THE HERETIC QUEEN, but ancient Rome is absolutely my favorite place and time period as well. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed with CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER. It definitely met my expectations (and they were set pretty high.) Ever since back in high school (where I took four years of Latin and watched I Claudius every Friday), I have been extremely interested in ancient Rome. I have read a few books about Rome throughout the years and I was addicted to the HBO series Rome, but I still want more! I don't think I will ever get tired of these historical figures and their antics! I love the way that Ms. Moran decided to tell the story in this novel. She wrote the book in first person through the voice of Selena, the daughter of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. The story begins when Mark Antony and Cleopatra take their own lives, and their remaining children -- Selena and her two brothers -- are taken away in chains from Egypt to Rome by their enemy Octavian. Selena was a wonderful young girl (and eventually a wonderful young woman) who seemed mature beyond her years. Of course, she grew up in the refined and cultured Egypt; and she spent a great deal of time being educated with adults. I thought the blend of Selena's maturity along with her naivete because of her age made this story and her insight extra-special. I especially loved Selena's reactions when she reached Rome -- that it wasn't anywhere near as sophisticated as Egypt! I absolutely loved Selena and I truly appreciated her spunk! It was clear to her that she was living as a prisoner under Octavian's rule, and yet she still never forget her parents and her homeland. She wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind (at times to her detriment); however, she still had enough sense to know how to play the different characters against each other. In addition, I liked that Ms. Moran portrayed Selena as a young girl who was very bright and loved to study architecture. In this novel, Selena not only studied with a skilled teacher, but she also used her talent and knowledge about buildings to help design new structures. Although Selena was a young girl and did make a few mistakes along the way, she still had many admirable traits. First and foremost, I loved how loyal she was to her family and friends. I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that she was extremely generous and grateful to those who helped her. In many ways, CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER was a coming-of-age story about Selena, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her mature throughout this novel. I especially liked the ending and how Selena came to realize who and what she should value. It probably goes without saying that I loved all of the historical inform

My Favorite Michelle Moran

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!