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There are currently 22 member reviews
for I Am Livia
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Judith W. (Brooklyn, NY)
Live live Livia!
Livia was one of my favorite characters in PBS's production of "I, Claudius" and it was rewarding to read her story from her point of view. Would have read this in one sitting if I could (but did devour it in a few days). The story was compelling enough that I was waiting to see 'how it turned out', even though I already knew parts of the story. This has also reawakened my interest in Roman history and I am pulling out Massie's 'Augustus' and looking for my copy of 'I, Claudius'.
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Edie M. (Kennett Square, PA)
I Am Livia
This book is the story of a girl who grew up before your eyes. She is a little too smart for her own good at times. Taking place during Ceaser, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. Sad at times but also inspiring. I liked this book because we vacationed in Italy this past summer and I could visualize some of the scenes. Great love story.
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Tracy B. (New Castle, DE)
I am Livia
I always enjoy reading about the forgotten women in history. This book cover her life in a time of turmoil. The author took us into the mind of and intelligent and caring woman. It is my favorite way of learning about and remembering history.
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Marianne S. (Ulysses, KS)
I Am Livia
As a fan of historical fiction, I enjoyed this book. Livia was the second wife of Caesar Augustus. I had never heard of her and knew very little about Ancient Rome. I learned a lot about both from this book. The author made the times come alive and described Livia's life clearly and in chronological order. It's important to me that a book be reasonably historically accurate, and I Am Livia seems to be so. However, if a reader doesn't like historical fiction, this book probably won't change his mind about the genre.
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Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)
A Refreshing Perspective on Livia Drusilla
I Am Livia is a "must read" for anybody who loves well-researched historical fiction about fascinatingly strong women of history who lived in challenging times, achieved power and/or influence and deserved to be remembered for her own contributions and not just her association with a powerful man or family.
Livia Drusilla, wife of Caesar Augustus, mother and grandmother to future emperors, and daughter of a Claudii patrician who supported the assassination of Julius Caesar, recounts her life in a first person narrative beginning with her marriage at age 14 to a much older man, Tiberius Claudius Nero, through the civil wars that culminated with the death of Antony and Cleopatra, and the imagined relationship with Rome's First Citizen.
The narrative flows nicely and this is a fairly quick read. The author makes an effort to rehabilitate Livia's reputation as a power hungry woman who poisoned her enemies or family members that might conceivably vie for political control.
The only parts of the book that didn't resonate well with me were the depictions of Caesar as completely a besotted suitor and husband. The dialog felt awkward to me.
For those who hungrily devour stories of this historical period, loved the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough or stayed glued to the HBO series "ROME", this story is peopled with characters that feel like old friends.
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Elinor S. (Loudonville, NY)
I am Livia
I'm always happy to read about ancient Roman history as it has been a verrrrry long time since high school Latin. I was however disappointed with the quality of the characterizations. I felt no emotional connection with Livia, thus, only "good" from me.
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Kristen H. (Hagerstown, MD)
Rome
This book was very well written. Phyllis Smith, a first time author did a good job at combining history and fiction to make this a very interesting and captivating read. Her research on the subject was very thorough and well thought out when combining the two.
This is a book I would recommend to book clubs. The author gave a great prospective on how the women of the great warriors lived and kept their households functioning while their men went off to battle. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to other novels by this author.
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