What do most of us know about Cleopatra? I had heard, and taken with a grain of salt, the stereotypes: she was the head of her government; she was attractive; she had a lot of sex; she died with a snake. Boom. That’s it. And so when I saw this novel, I jumped at the chance to learn about her. My thanks go to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

The narrative is told in the first person; because I had fallen behind, I checked out the audio version to accompany my digital copy. I usually address the narrator at the end of my reviews, but Adjoa Andoh is not just any narrator. Without her commanding presence and interpretation, I don’t think I’d have enjoyed it as much as I did.

I appreciate this story largely because of the nuances El-Arifi employs. She takes the stereotype, tosses it out the window, and instead presents a strong ruler, one that loves deeply but also makes her decisions primarily in the interest of the people of Egypt, and also, of course, in her own self-interest. Her flaws appear to be trusting those she loves too deeply, particularly in regard to her siblings, who betray her almost immediately upon her assumption of the throne.

What I do not know is how accurate this story is. Excellent historical fiction is history with quotations and an inner narrative added. There are no endnotes provided with this novel, nor a bibliography, but that is usually true of historical fiction. And while history is my field, Egyptian history is not; it is, however, the author’s, and she holds a Master’s degree in African studies. Thus, I am inclined to believe her.

I recommend this book to those that are interested in historical fiction, feminism, and of course, Cleopatra.