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Hand of Isis
by Jo Graham

Release Date: 5th Mar 2009
Publisher: Little Brown
ISBN: 978 1 8414 9700 6
RRP: £8.99

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Follows the legend of Cleopatra from a sister's perspective...

The rise and fall of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt is probably one of the most infamous stories about the power of being a woman. It is a tale of a Princess initially destined for nothing other than an conveniently arranged marriage who by various twists of fate (including inter-familial murder and betrayal) found herself Queen; and that Queen seeking security and power for her people by using her feminine charm, wiles and intellect.

In Jo Graham’s rendition, Cleopatra’s two half-sisters: Iras and Charmain form a formidable trio. Centred on Charmain’s character, we see the ascension and subsequent descent of Cleaopatra’s reign from a more distant standpoint – albeit with the obvious sisterly emotional involvement. Charmain is interestingly taken up as an extremely spiritual individual with seer-like dreams and premonitions, all of which focus around the Goddess Isis. It is as the trio of the various elements that are the make-up of the Goddess that necessitates the title of the book – as all three sisters truly believe themselves to be the Hands of Isis on Earth.

The conflict between spirituality and science is explored at great length; with Dion, a male companion and scholar who grows up knowing the girls and later becomes very close to Charmain as they share a lover, yes, you read that right... But the conflict is not shared with either Dion of Charmain, as both seem comfortable with holding true to beliefs whilst simultaneously enjoying the pursuit of science. Perhaps there would have been more internal struggle had Darwin’s theory existed then.

Hand of Isis does not deter from the fundamentals of Cleopatra’s legend – how could it? And as such, is implicitly unable to offer originality. If, however, you are a fervent aficionado of Cleopatra, then you could do much worse. Graham writes with conviction, at times elegance at others a certain taste for embracing the more risqué aspects of liberal Alexandria (Charmain and Dion’s unusual time-share of their joint lover and occasionally threesome tryst being one example). Hand of Isis is interesting. It vividly reconstitutes a bygone era that has hallmarks of barbarianism and modern-day-life in equal parts. It is not so much a regurgitation of Cleopatra’s age-old love story, but rather an insightful take on the politics that created her and ended her.

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