So, during the Random Acts of Publicity Kindness week, I've been sprinkling my promo fairy dust on Vicky Alvear Shecter and her debut novel, Cleopatra's Moon.
Now, honestly, Cleopatra's Moon has been getting rave reviews from lots of folks WAY bigger than me. And I know why. It's a great story, beautifully written, expertly told.
It's the tale of Cleopatra Selene, the only daughter of the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra, and the Roman general, Marcus Antonius. And the only child to have survived (of Cleopatra's four) to adulthood. History doesn't give us many details about this daughter, so Vicky rendered a story of what may have been.
There's much of the politics, as well as religion, of both of these powerful, ancient cultures. You'll get a love story, too, as Cleopatra Selene forsakes her own happiness in an attempt to gain a political advantage. But that's not the heart of the story. The heart lies with the mother and daughter and how complicated love can be as we struggle to make our way in the world, ancient or modern.
It was that touch of...unexpectedness that I enjoyed the most about Cleopatra's Moon. The way Vicky made an ancient story resonate with the same challenges we face today, as daughters, and yes, as mothers. So buy the book for your daughter or granddaughter. But make sure that you read it yourself.
And yes, I waited till the very end of the week to blog about this book. That's because on Friday, Vicky does a thing called Friday Funnies on her blog that always cracks me up. You don't have to be a history buff, or know a ton about the classics. You just have to enjoy a good funny.
(Hey, there's nothing in the Random Acts of Publicity Kindness that says I can't sprinkle promo dust on a book and a blog. Enjoy!)
