Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C.
by Kristiana Gregory
The Royal Diaries (2), My Story
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While her father is in hiding after attempts on his life, twelve-year-old Cleopatra records in her diary how she fears for her own safety and hopes to survive to become Queen of Egypt some day.Tags
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cateringforcuriosity Both are fictional biographies about girls who grew up to be rulers of Egypt, written in a first-person perspective.
Member Reviews
I loved this book when I was like 11, so much so that I still own it and intend to keep it forever, but did anyone ever notice just how creepy Mark Antony is?
Like, dang man, you're like almost thirty and she's literally half your age, and is going through puberty, so can you refrain from flashing her and drunk kissing her in the darkness? That's literally sexual harrassment, not romantic.
I know this is supposed to be like, pseudo-historical, but could they have made her a little bit older? Even 18 would have been better, so it isn't so pervy. Or since this is a book for children, they could have, idk not written that storyline?
Other than that, I loved this book and still read it sometimes just to feel nostalgic.
Like, dang man, you're like almost thirty and she's literally half your age, and is going through puberty, so can you refrain from flashing her and drunk kissing her in the darkness? That's literally sexual harrassment, not romantic.
I know this is supposed to be like, pseudo-historical, but could they have made her a little bit older? Even 18 would have been better, so it isn't so pervy. Or since this is a book for children, they could have, idk not written that storyline?
Other than that, I loved this book and still read it sometimes just to feel nostalgic.
Two stars because the writing was absorbing.
If I had wanted to read about a princess in ancient Rome, I would have picked up a book that fucking took place in ancient Rome. I wanted Egypt! I wanted sandy deserts, Egyptian gods, Arabic and Aramaic, and an education on parts of history. Instead, noooo I got water water sailing my sisters hate me water I have a leopard oh Julius is cute look at Marc Antony. Like wtf. Over half the book takes place in ancient Rome, where the character is...not my idea of a princess in ancient Egypt. It apparently lines up with a specific part of her childhood, but was not what I wanted as a reader perusing ancient Egypt.
Cleopatra, as written in this novel, doesn't sound twelve. She had two brothers, both show more named Ptolemy, and two sisters, Bernice and Arsinoe. So the super evil sister, whose name escapes me, in the novel didn't exist in real life.
What's with the instalove? Why does she develop crushes on men who are so much older than her? I'm not saying it can't happen at all. But why, within the confines of this story? Was it because the author needed to hammer in as much well-known knowledge and figures as she could? Glass windows did exist in Rome, but they were not the glass windows of today. They were thin and barely transparent, not the translucent ones of today. Horseshoes did exist, as did the game of horseshoe throwing, but...not really. The book portrays them in a much more modern sense. Pet collars did exist the way they are portrayed here, but eh...just super rare and it's off-putting in this book. It doesn't make Cleopatra seem extravagant or wealthy. It makes me think "the author loves her cat and put her in a fictionalized version of ancient Egypt." Quick research indicates Cleopatra may well have owned a cat, but it was probably an African wildcat, not a leopard.
Why underline certain words rather than put them in italics? .
WHY was there Christian coding and an emphasis on Jesus? That didn't happen for fifty-eight more years! This was super out-of-place and preachy. Which, now that I think about it, was probably the author's intent. Why wasn't Bastet mentioned? Isis was mentioned a handful of times, and not in a thoroughly theological manner.
This...is not an interesting time in Cleopatra's life. Other Royal Diaries and My Name is America books have girls that are sometimes fourteen or fifteen, even seventeen. I feel like if this had been written with Cleopatra at fourteen, the author could have done more. She could have written a far more engaging and dynamic story while sticking to real history, but chose not to. She wrote this instead, and it's lazy writing. show less
If I had wanted to read about a princess in ancient Rome, I would have picked up a book that fucking took place in ancient Rome. I wanted Egypt! I wanted sandy deserts, Egyptian gods, Arabic and Aramaic, and an education on parts of history. Instead, noooo I got water water sailing my sisters hate me water I have a leopard oh Julius is cute look at Marc Antony. Like wtf. Over half the book takes place in ancient Rome, where the character is...not my idea of a princess in ancient Egypt. It apparently lines up with a specific part of her childhood, but was not what I wanted as a reader perusing ancient Egypt.
Cleopatra, as written in this novel, doesn't sound twelve. She had two brothers, both show more named Ptolemy, and two sisters, Bernice and Arsinoe. So the super evil sister, whose name escapes me, in the novel didn't exist in real life.
What's with the instalove? Why does she develop crushes on men who are so much older than her? I'm not saying it can't happen at all. But why, within the confines of this story? Was it because the author needed to hammer in as much well-known knowledge and figures as she could? Glass windows did exist in Rome, but they were not the glass windows of today. They were thin and barely transparent, not the translucent ones of today. Horseshoes did exist, as did the game of horseshoe throwing, but...not really. The book portrays them in a much more modern sense. Pet collars did exist the way they are portrayed here, but eh...just super rare and it's off-putting in this book. It doesn't make Cleopatra seem extravagant or wealthy. It makes me think "the author loves her cat and put her in a fictionalized version of ancient Egypt." Quick research indicates Cleopatra may well have owned a cat, but it was probably an African wildcat, not a leopard.
Why underline certain words rather than put them in italics? .
WHY was there Christian coding and an emphasis on Jesus? That didn't happen for fifty-eight more years! This was super out-of-place and preachy. Which, now that I think about it, was probably the author's intent. Why wasn't Bastet mentioned? Isis was mentioned a handful of times, and not in a thoroughly theological manner.
This...is not an interesting time in Cleopatra's life. Other Royal Diaries and My Name is America books have girls that are sometimes fourteen or fifteen, even seventeen. I feel like if this had been written with Cleopatra at fourteen, the author could have done more. She could have written a far more engaging and dynamic story while sticking to real history, but chose not to. She wrote this instead, and it's lazy writing. show less
Of the four "Royal Diaries" I've read, this one was by far the best. Maybe it was because Cleopatra's life as a child was so much more interesting than that of Anastasia Romanova or Marie Antoinette or Isabel of Aragon, or, since there was less known about Cleopatra's childhood, the author was able to use more imagination in making Cleopatra a personality who was capable of and did rule Egypt.
Kristina Gregory used as much actual history and events as she could, but what Cleopatra actually thought about her father, her older sister, her personal fears and ambitions are, of course, speculative. Nevertheless, it is a wild, frightening and believable story.
Some may wonder whether the events are appropriate for 8-10 year-olds for whom this show more series is aimed, but I feel that showing how a girl of 12 was able to maneuver and survive (at least through her adolescence) attempts on her life, her father's alcoholism, the contempt of the Romans by using her intellect is uplifting. The extra information at the endof the book and the pictures of the main characters also feeds the imagination. show less
Kristina Gregory used as much actual history and events as she could, but what Cleopatra actually thought about her father, her older sister, her personal fears and ambitions are, of course, speculative. Nevertheless, it is a wild, frightening and believable story.
Some may wonder whether the events are appropriate for 8-10 year-olds for whom this show more series is aimed, but I feel that showing how a girl of 12 was able to maneuver and survive (at least through her adolescence) attempts on her life, her father's alcoholism, the contempt of the Romans by using her intellect is uplifting. The extra information at the endof the book and the pictures of the main characters also feeds the imagination. show less
I loved this book when I was like 11, so much so that I still own it and intend to keep it forever, but did anyone ever notice just how creepy Mark Antony is?
Like, dang man, you're like almost thirty and she's literally half your age, and is going through puberty, so can you refrain from flashing her and drunk kissing her in the darkness? That's literally sexual harrassment, not romantic.
I know this is supposed to be like, pseudo-historical, but could they have made her a little bit older? Even 18 would have been better, so it isn't so pervy. Or since this is a book for children, they could have, idk not written that storyline?
Other than that, I loved this book and still read it sometimes just to feel nostalgic.
Like, dang man, you're like almost thirty and she's literally half your age, and is going through puberty, so can you refrain from flashing her and drunk kissing her in the darkness? That's literally sexual harrassment, not romantic.
I know this is supposed to be like, pseudo-historical, but could they have made her a little bit older? Even 18 would have been better, so it isn't so pervy. Or since this is a book for children, they could have, idk not written that storyline?
Other than that, I loved this book and still read it sometimes just to feel nostalgic.
Such an excellent book. Well written, beautifully researched and well grounded in the times, relatable protagonist. A bit shocked at the realism occasionally observed, in terms of (especially royal) brutality. Good for adults or young adults who are ready for it.
Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile is part of the Royal Diaries series that features fictional journals of royal figures throughout history. The reader is immediately captivated by the life of 12 year old Cleopatra - her father, Ptolemy has disappeared fearing for his life, and her sister, Trypthphaena has assumed reign of the kingdom. Ultimately she learns that Trypthaphaena and her supporters are out to kill her and Ptolemy. Cleopatra is also gravely concerned about her father's alcoholism and his ability to rule Egypt, and gradually she realizes that she must rise to meet the challenges of ruling an empire and become Queen of the Nile. The reader can relate to Cleopatra's fears and worries while trying to maintaining an air of show more confidence at most times. Cleopatra's diaries are rich with detail and the reader can practically feel what it is like to be in the comfort and luxuries of an Egyptian palace, to experience the excesses and slums of Ancient Rome, and to truly relive the culture and lifestyle of the time. The language suggest that although Cleopatra is only an adolescent, she is highly educated and has many resources at her disposal to learn Latin, about other cultures - truly a royal lifestyle. The journals also communicate themes that are relevant to modern times - navigating through a dysfunctional family, coming of age, and development of a self-identity. The author provides resources as an afterword with art and pertinent historical figures that support the details featured in the journals. Great historical fiction book for ages 9-12. show less
My daughter, who is about to embark upon studying Ancient Egypt in her 6th grade social studies class, borrowed this book from the school library for both me and for herself. it's an engaging read, but I'd actually like to go back and cross-check it with Schiffman's biography to see if Cleopatra did indeed travel to Rome with her father to enlist Pompey as his ally. As an adult who has read her biography, I found the encounters and flirtations between the preteen/teenage Cleopatra and the adult Marc Antony more than a bit contrived. However, if it gets my 10-year-old daughter more enthusiastic about her 6th grade history class (and about reading history in general), I'm fine with the bit of storytelling truth-stretching.
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Awards
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Belongs to Publisher Series
Gallimard jeunesse, Mon histoire (57-55 av. J.-C.)
Folio junior, Mon histoire (1776)
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C.
- Original title
- Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C.
- Alternate titles*
- Cléopâtre, fille du Nil. Egypte, 57-55 avant J.-C.
- Original publication date
- 1999 (1e édition américaine, Scolastic, New York) (1e édition américaine, Scolastic, New York); 2005-09-15 (1e traduction et édition française, Mon histoire, Gallimard) (1e traduction et édition française, Mon histoire, Gallimard); 2016-09-15 (Réédition française reformatée, Folio junior, Mon histoire, N° 1776, Gallimard jeunesse) (Réédition française reformatée, Folio junior, Mon histoire, N° 1776, Gallimard jeunesse); 2019-02-21 (Nouvelle édition française, Mon histoire, Gallimard jeunesse) (Nouvelle édition française, Mon histoire, Gallimard jeunesse)
- People/Characters
- Cleopatra VII; Ptolemy XII Auletes; Berenice IV; Arsinoë IV; Marcus Antonius; Julius Caesar (show all 15); Cleopatra Tryphaena (Tryphaena); Julia Caesaris Filia; Mento; Puzo (Cleopatra's guard); Neva (Cleopatra's servant); Ptolemy XIII; Ptolemy XIV; Olympos (Olympus); Arrow
- Important places
- Alexandria, Egypt; Rome, Italy; Ancient Rome; Ancient Egypt
- Important events
- Roman Empire; 1st century BCE; 50s BCE; 57 BCE; Ptolemaic Dynasty; Hellenistic Period
- Related movies
- The Royal Diaries: Cleopatra - Daughter of the Nile (2000 | IMDb)
- Epigraph*
- /
- Dedication
- Dedicated with much love
to my father, Hal Gregory,
whose appreciation of ancient literature
gave me the courage
to peek at Plutarch and all the rest. - First words
- I, Cleopatra, Princess of the Nile, write this in my own hand.
- Quotations
- The Queen of Sheba so desired in her heart to have knowledge, that she rode by caravan all the way to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon, the wisest man on Earth. Queen Esther of Persia saved her Jewish people from slaughter by b... (show all)ravely standing before King Xerxes. Nefertiti, she, too, was brave. These queens were once as young as I am now, and they didn't have a Library or Mouseion in which to study. I am most fortunate.
- Original language*
- Anglais (Etats-Unis) (Etats-Unis)
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
- Canonical LCC
- PZ7.G8619
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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