When My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon

by Frances Park

Book Overview

Cleo was everything her little sister Marcy wanted her to be; beauti- ful, alluring and fiercely independent. But when Cleo comes home from college, Marcy, an adolescent on the brink of becoming a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786886455
• ISBN13: 9780786886456
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Hyperion Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An incredible story

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

Recommended

Hip, glib, fast, and funny. As a KA male, I was expecting NOT to like it, but I found myself laughing out loud. A book about the Korean American experience during the '70s, the characters are very Americanized. But they experience loss, racism, and sadness just like everybody else. One note: although this novel is breezy with snappy dialogue, there are really poignant descriptions of her father. It's very moving, stirring to see her father's letters to the daughters--beautiful.

Korean Summer Sisters At Last!!!

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!

Passion and Reconciliation

Cleopatra Moon emerges from the early pages of this novel as a woman who radiates an almost charismatic sexuality. The impressions she conveys to the hapless men in her path create a hopeless role model for her younger and initially adoring sister. Both women change in the face of the darker sides of sexual experience and their reaction to the events reflects the differences in their personalities. Vulnerability and strength emerge when least expected to form part of a very convincing and satisfying portrayal of the complexities of the human condition.The author's writing style is extraordinary. She has a wonderful ear for idiom and dialogue which she combines with poetic skill to bring us into the deepest mindsets of her characters. One isolated example of her skill lies in the subtle portrait of Cleopatra. We leave the novel with a precise image of this extrordinary woman yet upon rereading the book we see that Frances Park has created this image with very light and often indirect touches like a refined Chinese poem where the art of the author is demonstrated by the ability to awaken the creative power of the reader.The book has a number of important subthemes including the possibility of redemption through the love felt for a deceased father whose influence touches from beyond the grave. This element of the book is crafted with great skill and operates in a manner which defies convention and expectation.Frances Park has created a very impressive piece of fiction.

tapestries of worlds

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.