BOOK REVIEW: Dying for Rome. Lucrezia's Tale by Elisabeth Storrs

I received this book for free from the author through "Book Funnel." This did not influence my review.

　

I loved Elisabeth Storrs’ historical trilogy: Tales of Ancient Rome. (The Wedding Shroud, The Golden Dice, and Call to Juno) These wonderfully immersive novels took me to the fascinating world of the Etruscans, who became the arch-enemies of early Rome.

Now Storrs has written a historical novella, Dying For Rome: Lucretia’s Tale.

The "Rape of Lucretia" is a well-known historical event (though various accounts of the event differ slightly in the details) in which a virtuous Roman woman was attacked by an Etruscan prince, the son of the nasty king of Rome. The people of the various towns ruled by the king were tired of being oppressed, but too terrified to rebel. This changed after the dishonored Lucretia committed suicide. She became a martyr to the people, who rose up, overthrew the king, and established the Roman Republic.

The politics of all this are challenging. Fortunately, Storrs has a solid grasp of the history and is able to pare it down to the essentials. In this novella, a slave girl belonging to Lucretia bears witness to the fateful events.

Historical fiction as a rule is not short. It’s difficult to bring the reader into a long-ago world, establish the historical framework, and bring the characters to life. Dying for Rome succeeds as a short work because its focus is so narrow. Even so, what a wonderful subject for a full-length novel this would be!

If you’d like to dip your toe into the waters of very ancient Rome, give this novella a try. If you’d like to dive in, get hold of The Wedding Shroud.