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The Emperor's Babe

From the Booker prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other
By Bernardine Evaristo
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Check link for latest rating. ( 4,311 ratings, 543 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo, set in Roman London around 211 AD, a young Sudanese girl named Zuleika finds herself navigating the complexities of societal expectations and personal desires. As she grapples with her arranged marriage to a wealthy Roman, Zuleika embarks on a journey of self-discovery, expressing her vibrant identity against the backdrop of a bustling, multicultural city. The novel intertwines themes of love, power, and rebellion with a unique poetic style.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by a vibrant blend of poetry and prose, set in Roman London with a modern twist. It may appeal to you if you appreciate stories of strong, rebellious female characters who navigate personal and societal challenges with wit and resilience.

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The Emperor's Babe

Through bustling, hustling city, its slum tenements and sumptuous villas, this book follows Zuleika the daughter of Sudanese immigrants. Married to a fat, rich absent Roman, she is stranded in luxurious neglect, until, one day, Septimus Severus, Emperor himself, comes to town, bringing with him not just love - but danger...

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Dazzling, brilliant, streetwise, sassy, audacious: The Emperor's Babe has been hailed as one of the most original novels of 2001.

Meet Zuleika: sassy girl about town, hellraiser, bored ex-child-bride in Londinium, AD 211. In the place (and time) to be...

Through the bustling, hustling city, we follow Zuleika, feisty and precocious daughter of Sudanese immigrants. Married off to a rich, fat, absent Roman, she is stranded in luxurious neglect, until, one day, the Emperor himself comes to town, bringing with him not just love - but danger...

Funky and funny, sexy and moving, this novel in verse is a triumph of imaginative writing - and of sheer lyrical and emotional vitality.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo is praised for its smart, imaginative, and readable approach, blending historical fact with imaginative storytelling. Set in Roman Londinium, it offers a racy and engaging narrative delivered in verse, presenting a heroine for the modern age through glittering fiction. Reviews highlight its rich and captivating depiction of ancient times with a contemporary twist.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780140297812

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 April 2002

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 193g

Pages: 272

Collections

Bernardine Evaristo Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Bernardine Evaristo, MBE, is the award-winning author of eight books of fiction and verse fiction that explore aspects of the African diaspora. Her novel Girl, Woman, Other made her the first black woman to win the Booker Prize in 2019, as well winning the Fiction Book of the Year Award at the British Book Awards in 2020, where she also won Author of the Year, and the Indie Book Award. She also became the first woman of colour and black British writer to reach No.1 in the UK paperback fiction chart in 2020. Her writing spans reviews, essays, drama and radio, and she has edited and guest-edited national publications, including The Sunday Time's Style magazine. Her other awards and honours include an MBE in 2009. Bernardine is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University, London, and President of the Royal Society of Literature. She lives in London with her husband. www.bevaristo.com

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