Cleopatra

Shining jewels decorate the sumptuous cover of this fictionalised biography of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. The story is told through the eyes of her young handmaiden, 10-year-old Nefret, whose diary records events in the royal palace. In Adèle Geras’s skilful hands this device works well, and the reader quickly identifies with the young girl as she waits upon the Queen, learning about her position as ruler, her desire to make Egypt as powerful as Rome and her love for Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. A reference chapter follows the diary, setting the events in their historical and cultural context. Photographs, maps and a timeline augment the text alongside lively illustrations. An attractive and accessible blend of fiction and non-fiction, and a useful supplement to a visit to the Tutankhamen exhibition.