Product Description

Established Dear America author Kristiana Gregory kicks off the Royal Diaries with the captivating story of young Cleopatra's tumultuous life. Daughter of King Ptolemy Autletes, Pharaoh of Egypt, Cleopatra lives a life filled with opulence and mystery.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24859 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Amazon.com Review
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.

"I took the cup and raised it toward Tryphaena as if toasting her, but really I was watching the liquid, looking for oil floating on its surface, or powder sticking to the sides of the cup. If I suspected poison and tossed it into the pool, she would have her guards behead me on the spot. If it was indeed poison, one sip and I could die..."

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!").

Kristiana Gregory, a contributor to the excellent Dear America series, has done an admirable job ghostwriting for the princess, painting an engaging portrait of a resourceful, intelligent, compassionate young woman forged by the forces of her time. The book concludes with a helpful section of maps, portraits, a Pharaonic family tree, and 20 pages of illustrations. (Ages 8 to 12) --Paul Hughes

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8-Princess Cleopatra narrates major episodes from her life in a diary she keeps from age 12 to 14. She is sympathetically depicted as a delightful mixture of adolescent uncertainty and as a young woman with great maturity and insight. Born into a royal household full of intrigue and fears of assassination, she desperately wants to survive to become a responsible and just queen. She describes everyday life in the Egyptian court and her frantic flight to Rome with her father, Ptolemy XII, to seek refuge and alliance with the Romans against their enemies and her sisters, who both seek the throne. Characters are well drawn, Cleopatra's relationships with others are realistically portrayed, and historical background is well integrated into the text. This is an enjoyable story, followed by a synopsis of the queen's later years, a time line, family tree, and black-and-white reproductions of old engravings and paintings.
Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
In a new entry in the Royal Diaries series, Cleopatra, age 12, writes in her diary about the events of her daily life, which are far from mundane. She discusses the attempts on her father's life, her pet leopard, her trip to see the lighthouse at Pharos (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), and her exile when her elder sister usurps the throne. Her exotic life also includes some horrifying events (her sister's head is brought in on a platter), and Gregory has clearly done her research, inserting many interesting bits of historical lore. Of course, the story is never truly believable--unless you can imagine young Cleopatra writing such lines on her papyrus as "I, Cleopatra, Princess of the Nile." But Gregory writes evocatively, and she provides a good deal of helpful background information at the end of the book. Susan Dove Lempke

Customer Reviews

Cleopatra : Daughter of the Nile
Although I'm not too sure about the historical accuracy of this book, I still think it deserves five stars for being extremely realistic-sounding and well-written. Cleopatra is a twelve-year-old princess when she begins to write in her diary. Her formerly comfortable life is in a state of upheaval. Her father, the Pharaoh of Egypt, has disappeared after narrowly escaping several plots to asassinate him, and her older sister Tryphaena has usurped the throne in his absence. Tryphaena fears that Cleopatra could be a threat to her authority, so she is especially watchful of her younger sister. One misstep could lead to Cleopatra's death. Cleopatra seeths under Tryphaena's close scrutiny, but she also fears for her life. She knows that it is her destiny to become Queen of Egypt, but she does not know how she will ever be anointed with her power-hungry siblings in her way. In the midst of Tryphaena's takeover of the government, Cleopatra hears that her father is about to make an ardurous sea voyage to Rome to meet with Julias Caesar. He hopes to persuade Caesar to help him recover his throne. Cleopatra fears for her father's life, and she has also been informed that Tryphaena was planning to murder her on a certain night. So, with the help of her friends Olympus (a medical student and family friend), Theophilus (a Hebrew scholar), and others, she manages to sneak aboard her father's ship and sail to Rome. To find out the surprising and interesting things that happen to her in Rome, you must read this book. It is also in Rome that Cleopatra becomes more and more set on becoming Queen--no matter what the cost. This book centers around the preteen and early teenage years of Cleopatra's life--when she realizes how dangerous being the daughter of the Pharaoh is. She also learns that she can never know who to trust. In this book, Cleopatra also sows the seeds of her famous liaisons with Marc Anthony, a Roman general. I strongly recommend this book, as it portrays the dangers and privileges of being a princess more accurately than any other book in the Royal Diaries series.

Royal fun
I'm a fan of Egyptian things, so I was sure I'd like this book. It painted a picture of a real teenage princess with friends, foes, joy, and troubles. In other words, Cleopatra seemed like a living human as relevant as our own times. She learned at an early age that some people she loved and admired were untrustworthy. She had to rely on herself and pursue her goal of becoming a good ruler. But at times, the book was a little boring and gory. It's difficult to conceive how a supposedly fair ruler could kill his/her family. Still, you should read this story, especially if you like learning about ancient Egypt.

An excellent book
As a HS parent, I seek the best in literature, either to read aloud to my children, or for their own reading pleasure. As we have been preparing for study of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, I thought I'd try this book, as Cleopatra is such a seminal figure- both for her historical aspect, as well as the vast amount of literature, music, and drama based on her person.

I was very pleased and fascinated by reading this book. The many and varied settings (Egypt, Rome, Italy) came to life for me, as I read of this small girl's attempts to prepare herself for ultimate Rule in Egypt. The author's inclusion of both a Greek philosopher and a Hebrew student in Alexandria (both very historically plausible) lent an element of connection to a worldview which was to come about- the Greco-Roman Christian- not 100 years after the events in this story. Because neither the story line, nor the facts of history, detracted from the validity (or, in some respects the inevitability) of the Christian Roman world that arose on the ashes of the Caesars, (yet including in her story Cicero, Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, and all the rest) I was propelled to finish reading this book. The author deals with the emotions of an adolescent girl, while maintaining decorum about such things, that any HS parent with moral standards could easily integrate this novel into any Greco-Roman study, for elementary on up to Jr. high. There are some graphic elements (Cleopatra's usurpacious sister's head being brought in on a shield, reminiscent of John the Baptist's via Salome!) but overall, the book is full of light- as well as intrigue, sense impressions of a culture long gone, and a good story. The fact that `it ends suddenly,' as another reviewer mentioned, is that the purpose for which the book was written is fulfilled. Cleopatra returns to her beloved Alexandria, there to begin her journey towards womanhood- and rule. Highly recommended.