The Royal Diaries: Cleopatra VII, Daughter of the Nile

Summary: The year is 57 B.C., and 12-year-old Cleopatra, Princess of the Nile, has a lot on her mind. Her father, the Pharaoh of Egypt, nearly died when a venomous adder meant for him attacked and killed his favorite servant. Now the Pharaoh has gone into hiding, hunted by his enemies, and the young princess has to keep her head--literally--as her power-hungry older sister Tryphaena threatens to grab her father's throne.

In an elegantly written royal diary, Cleopatra VII has recorded every rich detail from this tumultuous time: her hairsbreadth escape by boat to Rome, where she and her father must plead for help; her struggle to absorb the overwhelming sights (and smells) of this new city and its "barbarian" ways; and her poise and quick thinking as she deals with the likes of General Pompey, Marc Antony, and the famous orator Cicero ("words fly from him like darts!").

About:
Author: Kristina Gregory
Pages: 224
Year Published: 1999

Review:

This was my first read on Cleopatra VII, who is, the Cleopatra that we're always talking about. I've got to say it was a good read, and really has fueled some interest for Cleoptra, in me. I really never thought of her as a person before this; I just thought of her as the wanton Egyptian queen, as do most. However, I learned that as Princess of Egypt, she was very well-educated in several different languages, politics, reading, writing, and more.

I liked the way Miss Gregory wrote this book. I really saw things from Cleopatra's eyes, and, honestly, I can't say whether anything was historically inaccurate, because I don't know much of this time period (I'm definitely more a Tudor England person, but I still find this time period interesting). However, everything was well-written; I could see a real story in this, a real girl writing this diary, which made it a great reading experience. 

I think anyone curious about Cleoptra VII and has never been exposed to historical fiction related to her would enjoy this book. It's a great first start, and because of it, I think I will be reading more related to this Egyptian Queen. Stay tuned?

Rating:

5 stars/5 stars