Typically historical fiction set in ancient Rome focuses on senators, military geniuses, mad emperors, and a lot of blood. Daughters of Rome has six emperors (It takes place largely in the year of four emperors—then add in Nero and Titus mentioned in the beginning and ending portions.), chariot races and battle scenes, but much more predominantly it has four women of the patrician family of the Cornelii. These women, who have four profoundly different approaches to living upper class lives, reveal the other side of Rome many people will have heard very little about. The book glides from “frivolities” like brightly colored silk stolas and ancient makeup to the mental requirements that women accept being political pawns in marriages to men they have good cause to hate, to the tawdry state of marriage and family in a society that pretended to value them above all, to a host of other complicated social issues that Quinn weaves in without our ever stumbling over them or thinking “too much history!” And she does this while keeping us turning the pages, wanting to know what the next political machination will be, the next wild sex scene, the next intimate moment between women when their lives are threatened and they have only each other to get them through.
These four women are cousins from an old and respected family, now funded largely by one of the cousin’s ex-slave grandfather who built a vast fortune and then bought his way into a patrician line—and he’s a genuinely likeable character with a good heart among many scoundrels with old pedigrees. The four live through the calamitous events of the year when Rome discovered that societies are forever altered for the worse when the rule of law is overthrown by power hungry men who do not care about the bloody means they use to usurp legitimate rule. Rome was no innocent before this particular year. The “Republic” had long since given up anything but lip service to the old Roman ideals of elections and a free citizenry and had been kissing up to emperors, crazed or good, for some time. But through the transformations of Kate Quinn’s characters and her vivid portrayal of Roman life turned upside down, the author makes a good case that this year-long spasm was different than any that had come before. It’s an apt lesson from history that is worth pondering, especially if you can have so much fun in the process. This may be a well-researched, historically engaging book, but it also has golden boy Thracian lovers, extravagant jewels and feasts, family and political intrigue. Let Quinn build her characters in the opening chapters—some people think the beginning is a bit slow with so many people to put into place—and then hold onto your hat.
Special News about this book!
The author, Kate Quinn, is currently discussing Daughters of Rome on Goodreads and you may be interested in reading and/or participating in this ongoing and very fun group.