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1. What traumatic event in Cleopatra's life begins the novel?

The story opens with Cleopatra's memories of her mother's drowning. Though she was only three, she recalls the horror and the hands that held her down after her mother's death, though she'd longed for comfort. Her nurse takes her to the throne of the goddess Isis, where she's told that she is now the daughter of Isis.

2. Who are Cleopatra's siblings?

Cleopatra has two older sisters--one named Cleopatra and one named Bernice. After her mother's death, her father remarries and she has a daughter, Arisonoe and two sons.

3. What is the underlying political situation between two powers throughout Cleopatra's life and what is Egypt's position?

The complex political and social situation between the Egyptians and Romans is an important aspect of the story. Egyptians seem at a disadvantage militarily, and this means that they are forced to be more accommodating than they might otherwise be.

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