Description: Five decades before the birth of Christ, Chava, daughter of the royal tutor, grows up with Urbi, a princess in Alexandria's royal palace. When Urbi becomes Queen Cleopatra, Chava vows to be a faithful friend no matter what--but after she and Cleopatra have an argument, she finds herself imprisoned and sold into slavery.
Torn from her family, her community, and her elevated place in Alexandrian society, Chava finds herself cast off and alone in Rome. Forced to learn difficult lessons, she struggles to trust a promise HaShem has given her. After experiencing the best and worst of Roman society, Chava must choose between love and honor, between her own desires and God's will for her life.
My Thoughts: It is interesting that, though this series is titled The Silent Years, the conflict in Chava's life revolves around a promise she heard from God. I found it interesting how strongly she held on to this promise and how little she questioned its origin from God, though that was perhaps because it was one she wanted to hear.
Though the first part of the novel was slow going at first, the narrative picked up pace once Cleopatra became Queen and Chava's loyalty to her promise was tested. It was then that more of the historical elements played a larger part in both woman's lives, replacing the childhood games of their younger years. And though it took Chava longer to see that the world was a much darker place than she had known before, she soon came to see every bit of betrayal that can reside in men's, and women's, hearts.
Two things stood out as something that may many people might find off putting when reading this book, the first being that there is very little romance, and the other being that much of the narrative deals with recounting events that took place in the history of Rome and Egypt rather than those that directly involved Chava. Instead, the reader is told what happens to Cleopatra through rumors and hearsay, while Chava's life is mostly unimpacted by those events. And those events which impacted Chava's life rather than Cleopatra's at times seemed far fetched, such as a her learning to be a midwife without any experience.
I must admit that normally, the way this story is told would have bothered me. I am not often interested in reading a novel where the true main character is not the one narrating. However, Cleopatra has always been a fascinating historical figure to me, and I am not so sure many authors would do justice to the historical Queen as a main point of view character. However, even with these potential issues, I found myself engaged in the story, wondering how Chava's promise would come about and what all she would survive in order to see the promise through.
Though not for everyone, I found Egypt's Sister to be an enjoyable read.
I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of this book from the publisher.
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