Fearing for her life as her ambitious sister schemes to become queen of Egypt, Princess Cleopatra flees Alexandria to live quietly in the countryside as a peasant girl. But with Egypt in turmoil, will she have the courage to return and face her future?

The book opens with Cleopatra aged eleven, woken by the presence of a deadly snake in her room. Saved by her loyal bodyguard, she is then summoned to witness the passing of her stepmother into the next world.The Egyptian court under Ptolemy the Twelfth is full of intrigue and no one is safe. There is also the imminent threat of Roman invasion and the people are growing tired of high taxes to appease them.When Ptolemy leaves for negiotations in Rome, Cleopatra's older sister Berenike makes her move, having herself declared queen, poisoning another princess and threatening Cleopatra. Her faithful nurse, Iras, decides to escape with Cleopatra, sailing in a trading boat down the Nile to the remote village where she comes from and still has family.There, they settle easily into the peasant life, ruled by the ebb and flow of the Nile and the seasons of planting and harvest. After two years, news reaches them of Ptolemy's return and Cleopatra risks her life to go back to Alexandria, where she is declared his heir.

 This is the first in a planned series described by the publisher as "presenting the early lives of some of history's most intriguing characters who, in shifting, dangerous worlds, struggle to make their mark and grow into the heroes of the future." However, though well researched and containing lots of detail about life in Ancient Egypt, I found the story rather flat and lacking excitement. All of Cleopatra's trials and tribulations were easily overcome, and even her arrival in Iras' village, posing as her daughter, provoked little comment.The best historical fiction, and it is one of my favourite genres, should transport the reader to the period and bring the sights and sounds alive. I'm afraid this book did not do that for me.

Escape Down the Nile could serve as an introduction to a topic on Ancient Egypt, though the events portrayed are speculation, as not much is known about Cleopatra's childhood or where she spent the years her father was in Rome. There are useful notes on what happened next, looking at Cleopatra's reign, and explanations of some of the background detail. A map would have been useful.

Buy this Book

2008-08-03