Egypt's Sister

Egypt's Sister:
A Novel of Cleopatra
The Silent Years
Angela Hunt
(Bethany House Publishers)
ISBN: 9780764219320
July 2017/384 pages/$15.99
You Don't Know Her Name. The World Remembers Only Her Greatest Friend: Cleopatra.

Raised together in the Alexandrian palace, Chava, the Hebrew daughter of the royal tutor, and Urbi, an Egyptian princess, become as close as sisters--and rivals with their dreams of greatness. When Urbi unexpectedly ascends the throne as Queen Cleopatra, Chava believes their bond is strong enough to survive. But absolute power has a way of changing everything.

The ultimate betrayal rips Chava from everything she's ever known and sends her to the lowest rung of Roman society where she must choose between love and honor, between her own desires and God's will for her life, if she hopes to rise again.


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author of more than 100 published books and with nearly 5 million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the New York Times bestselling author of The Note, The Nativity Story, and Esther: Royal Beauty. Romantic Times Book Club presented Angela with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. In 2008, Angela completed her PhD in Biblical Studies in Theology. She and her husband live in Florida with their mastiffs. She can be found online at www.angelahuntbooks.com.


MY THOUGHTS

I'm not a fan of ancient history settings and stories, but anything by Angela Hunt is a must-read for me. True to form, she swept me into the story and held my attention throughout the novel. Hunt seamlessly intertwines fact and fiction in this captivating tale of friendship, power, and faith. Her impeccable research add depth and rich historical detail without dragging the story down or making it read like a textbook. Set in the intertestamental period, also known as the Silent Years, the time between the Old and New Testaments when God did not speak to his people through prophets, Egypt's Sister is a reminder that God is always present even when He is silent. I completely loved this novel and couldn't set it aside until the last page was turned. Don't miss this fascinating story!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Baker/Bethany House for a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Q&A WITH ANGELA HUNT

1. Why did you decide to write about Cleopatra, of all people? She’s not exactly a biblical character.

I chose to write about Cleopatra—and in the first book, no less—because people are familiar with her history. She lived and reigned thirty years before the birth of Christ, so I knew she’d be a good introduction to this period. Plus, she’s fascinating.

2. Few Christian novelists have written about the intertestamental period. What drew you to that era?

I would always rather do something new, because I love learning new things myself. I had never read any Christian novels set in this period, and I knew very little about the time, so I knew it’d be a challenge. I love challenges.

3. What, if anything, did you learn about Egypt and Rome that surprised you?

I learned lots of surprising things. First, I learned that Cleopatra and her royal forebears weren’t Egyptian—they were Macedonian Greeks, descended from Alexander the Great. They lived in Alexandria and spoke, dressed, and behaved according to Greek traditions and customs, not Egyptian. Second, I was surprised by the many similarities between our government and the Roman system.

4. Chava, your heroine, hears the voice of God speaking to her in her youth. Did you write from experience? Has something similar ever happened to you?

Yes. Though I did not hear God speak audibly, I felt Him speak to me as a teenager, and He gave me a promise that was fulfilled, even though at the time everything seemed against that possibility. So when the same thing happened to Chava, I was writing from experience.

5. What parallels do you see between the ancient Romans and contemporary American society?

The more secular the United States becomes, the more like the Romans we become. The chief difference between our two systems is that America was founded by Christian people who sought religious freedom. The Romans celebrated religious freedom, too, but they were pagans, with a god for everything. Our system of morality is based upon Judeo-Christian principles, but the Romans had no such foundation. The more we abandon our foundational principles, the more like the Romans we become.

6. What’s up next for The Silent Years series?

The next book in the series, Judah’s Wife, goes back to the time of the Maccabees when Judea and the Jews were living under the heavy hand of the Seleucids and all the world had gone over to Greek thinking, speaking, and living. Just as many Christians find it challenging to live in an increasingly secular world, so the Jews found it difficult to live as religious Jews under the heavy Hellenistic influence.

Many thanks to Angela Hunt and Bethany house Publishers for providing this Q&A!