I’d always thought of Rome as primarily universalist – as long as the official gods were publicly honored. Selene’s Ptolemaic Egypt now seems the perfect foil to Augustus’ masculine authoritarianism.Īnd Dray’s representation of Isis worship in conflict with Roman religion was eye-opening.

Culture clash: I’d never given thought to how cold and rigid Roman culture must have felt to the conquered peoples. Dray’s mercy for the facts but came away feeling better inform on all levels: people, events, culture and worldview.ġ. I was pleasantly surprised at the unsentimental nature of Dray’s work and her ability to embed the historical context within an engaging story. I confess to an irresponsible lack of knowledge about the times and events so I was at Ms. Although Lily of the Nile mostly takes place in Rome, the protagonist fits in my Egypt category. Having recently read Wilbur Smith’s River God and The Quest, I figured I should get the last of my ancient Egypt stack taken care of. I usually resist anything suspect of girlishness but had picked up the book at the Historical Novel Society’s 2013 conference after hearing Ms. But Dray’s Selene is no ordinary princess.

Selene, daughter of theCleopatra and Mark Anthony, was raised in the Roman household of Caesar Augustus after his triumph over her parents led them to commit suicide. Stephanie Dray’s Lily of the Nile, is an imaginative rendering of Cleopatra Selene’s formative tween years.

Lily of the nile by stephanie dray