Book #84 - Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

I actually finished this book two days ago, but it has taken me this amount of time to collect my thoughts. First, I should say that this was another outstanding historical novel from Michelle Moran. This is the story of the twin children of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony who are taken to Rome as "prisoners" of Octavian (Augustus Caesar). This book was an eye opener as to the day to day life in Rome. In history class, you only hear how great the Roman Empire was and that Rome was the city of that time. The description is of a dirty, unlawful, corrupt, and heartbreaking city where the wealthy rule and everyone else is left to beg for scraps of food. The incredible journey of the princess of Egypt and her fight to save herself, remain valuable to Caesar, avoid an arranged marriage, cope with the loss of both parents and all of her siblings, and somehow escape Rome. The ending of this book was so intense and my hopes for Selena (main character) were so high that all would end well...which it did. The great thing about it is that it is based on true events in time, so Selena and the man she married, Juba, returned and ruled Egypt for decades. This author is fantastic and really illuminates strong and resilient women of ancient times. I have to say she is the best author in this genre that I have read. Her books are packed with culture and adventure...incredible combination.