Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel
by Michelle Moran
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michelle MoranEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-09-15
ISBN: 0307409120
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Crown
Book Reviews of Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel
Book Review: A mesmerizing story that will leave you caring deeply for many people in it
Summary: 5 Stars
The best historical fiction entertains and enlightens readers. These are stories created by writers who are vigilant about their fiction and exceptionally dedicated to the record. Michelle Moran is precisely that kind of writer, one who writes history carefully and only tells great stories.
CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER is the lesser-known story of Cleopatra Selene II, who of course is the daughter of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. The life of Cleopatra is not so much the subject of the book as what will happen after, yet we witness the tragedy of the legend through the eyes of her daughter. The book begins with the aftermath of the great Battle of Actium, in the moment where Marc Antony has lost the war to General Marcus Agrippa, and so all of Egypt and its treasures are at the mercy of Caesar Octavian.
Once Cleopatra hears that they have lost the battle and the war, she sends a soldier to tell Antony that they've been killed, hoping he'll flee and survive. Instead, Antony chooses death, and his soldiers lift him through a window into the vault where Cleopatra and the children are waiting. Antony's wound is self-inflicted, and he's only barely alive when Cleopatra first sees him. Anguished, she clutches his body within the tomb, and the children witness the death of their father. In a last compassionate appeal for her Egyptians, Cleopatra bids the remaining soldiers to flee. But her own dignity compels her to stay --- she intends to face her conqueror.
Cleopatra confronts Octavian with the countenance of a reigning queen rather than a defeated ruler. She's an imposing figure even in captivity, and her dignity and bravery in those final moments leave an impression upon her children, who watch it all. When she asks Caesar if she is still queen, Octavian answers "For now." When Caesar tells her that he has killed her two older sons who were heirs to the throne (Caesarion and Antyllus), she reminds Octavian that he has killed his own brother, the child of Julius Caesar. Sadly, it's only then that the great Cleopatra realizes she has just witnessed both the death of her loved ones and the end of the reign of Egypt by the Pharaohs. But even in her anguish, she is able to fight back despair and keep her dignity. Octavian asks her then "Shall your children come?", a loaded question. After mere seconds, Cleopatra answers "Yes." With the infamous asp, she ends her life, and her three living children see her in death before they're taken. For Selene, in a state of puzzlement and shock, the question of "why?" resonates through all that she has witnessed.
This happens quickly and is the end of Egypt for Selene and the beginning of her story in Rome. Selene and her two remaining brothers, Ptolemy and Alexander, board a ship to Italy as prisoners. Accompanying them are General Agrippa, who defeated their father, and Juba, a past captive of Caesar who now fights for him and proclaims himself Caesar's spy. Selene dotes over little Ptolemy on the voyage and tries to soften the reality of the situation. For all her hopes, it seems that Ptolemy isn't strong enough to endure what's happened, and during the voyage, a feverish illness takes him. So he's spared a life of captivity. Selene and Alexander are now all who remain of the great Ptolemies.
Once in Rome, Octavian treats Selene and Alexander as permanent captives. They are forced to live close to the man who took the lives of their entire family, and he demands a certain decorum of them and treats them with indifference. Octavian's sister Octavia has been ordered to take them in; ironically, she was once the wife of Marc Antony before he left her for Cleopatra. Their living situation is a source of concern in the beginning, but Octavia treats them with sincerity and kindness. Selene and Alexander also live among Octavia's son (Marcellus) and her two young daughters, and with Octavian's daughter (Julia), all of whom readily accept the two into their home. Even so, Egyptians and Romans essentially have little in common, and while a few Romans may find it easy to accept two children, they find it infinitely harder to accept the stranger qualities of their culture.
In the eyes of Rome, Selene and Alexander are little more than slaves, and they are warned of that reality early on. They must attempt to become useful to Caesar before coming of age or risk execution. Upon his return from Egypt, Octavian reminds them of their captive status, parading them through the streets of Rome in golden shackles. No one misunderstands the message --- two imprisoned children have become Caesar's symbols of his triumph over Egypt, for the glory of Rome. In Octavian's Rome, people are crucified whenever they say a wrong word or do anything contrary to Caesar's designs. Compassion or clemency seem nonexistent to Roman citizens. Slaves are treated abhorrently and are completely at the mercy of their masters. One-third of Rome's population is, in fact, slaves. Torture of slaves or prisoners is a common occurrence. This is the age of the arena, the gladiators all prisoners who face a painful, gruesome death merely for the pleasure of the horde, in the self-same city where unwanted children and infants die just as surely from starvation and exposure. And over it all is the senate, a corrupt ruling body that decides the fate of everyone in the city, with Octavian at the top.
Selene's story is one that I had never heard of before reading this book, and it is every bit as remarkable and affecting as the legend of Cleopatra. But readers will find more than just history in CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER. It is a mesmerizing story that will leave you caring deeply for many people in it. Clearly Moran genuinely cares for the characters she writes --- and for their authenticity, as personas are far from black and white. The typical dichotomy of good and evil common in so many books doesn't seem to exist here, and both heroes and villains will surprise you. Though you may have read other accounts of Rome or seen them on the big screen in movies like Gladiator, this is very unlikely to be a story you've ever heard; above all else, it's one of love and hope.
--- Reviewed by Melanie Smith
Summary of Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel
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.
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