Cleopatra's Daughter

I finished Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran a couple of days ago, but I was to tired to write about it. It's been a crazy week.

Anyway, I've read this book many times before. I love reading about Ancient Rome. This story takes place right after Augustus (Octavian) Caesar defeats Cleopatra and Antony in Egypt. Antony and Cleopatra kill themselves, Caesarion has been killed by Octavian, along with one of Antony's sons. The children on Cleopatra and Antony are the only ones left alive. The twins, Selene and Alexander and their little brother Ptolemy. Only the twins make it back to Rome with Octavian and his generals. Ptolemy dies during the voyage from and illness.

The book follows Selene and her twin through their childhood when they are 11 till 15, all the way to Selene's marriage. The back drop of Rome during this time is written in a way, that it flows. You can tell that Michelle Moran, has taken her time to study and get to know the culture of this time. Men were in charge, women, married or not, women were always subjected to their father's rule and used as pawns in their political ladder climb. It is different, but yet similar to our time with the way Rome was ruled.

Michelle Moran does acknowledge adding to the history in the book. There is one sub plot that isn't any where in history, but it did help progress the story and tie it together nicely. I will that Greeks had tragedy in their plays, Romans had it in their lives. After reading this book, I went on to study some of the lives of these people, what a depressing life they lead. It is a to read!