Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray is a fictionalized account of Cleopatra's daughter Selene. When Cleopatra kills herself Selene is taken to Rome to live with the emperor. Selene faces religious persecution and sexism as she enters her new life and grows from a young girl to a powerful woman.
This isn't the type of book I usually read and honestly I bought it because the cover was pretty and it sat on my shelf for a while before I got started. It is a fantastic story. This is the type of novel that makes one want to do some research. The author did a fantastic job with characterization and managed to keep the book moving throughout. Selene was in her teens during the time of the book and the issues she faces are interesting and the themes of feminism and religious freedom are ones that young people can be passionate about.
Appropriateness: This book was marketed as an adult novel with crossover appeal for the young adult audience. It was a more difficult read than most young adult novels (but not as difficult as anything you'd read in a high school literature class) but I think it certainly could appeal to high school readers. This would be a great mother daughter read and the discussion questions at the end of the book would be great book club starters. There isn't anything in this book that would disturb a young adult. There are some big historical issues (mistreatment of slaves, whippings) but nothing that would be a problem for anyone who had the desire to get through the book. It is a little slower than most YA books (there is no frantic plot or angsty romance) as it is a fictionalized biography.
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