Agrippa's Daughter

by Howard Fast

Bestselling author Howard Fast's riveting portrait of Israel's strong and beautiful Queen Berenice, whose life story is one of the ancient world's greatest romancesThroughout her rule in the first century AD, Queen Berenice is idolized by some, and hated by others. Though her fiery red hair makes her instantly recognizable, it is her mysterious charm and steely will that make her unforgettable. The daughter of Israel's King Agrippa I, Berenice is determined to free the kingdom of Israel from the shadow of the Roman Empire. But her plans are derailed after her husband, Shimeon, dies during a bloody civil war. When Berenice falls in love with Titus, son of the Roman Emperor, they devise an impossible plan to join the ruling lines of Rome and Israel.A master of gripping historical fiction, Howard Fast brings the ancient world to vivid life in this enthralling, epic drama.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Howard Fast including rare photos from the author's estate.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Middle East, Jewish, Historical

404 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Howard Fast was one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century. He was a bestselling author of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays. The son of immigrants, Fast grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence. During his incarceration, Fast wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus (1951). Throughout his long career, Fast matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style.

Pseudonyms: Walter Ericson, E.V. Cunningham

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agrippa's Daughter is an emotional, deep, compassionate and compelling historical novel. It tells the story of Queen Berenice Bat Agrippa of Israel.
Born in 28 CE, Berenice was the daughter of the King of Israel, Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great. A Hasmonean Princess, Berenice was strikingly beautiful, with the flaming red hair of the line of King David Ben Jesse, and fierce green eyes.

It is also the story of the Nation of Israel, in the years before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and the cruel exile of the Jewish people, from their ancient homeland.

After her arranged marriage to King Herod of Chalcis (in Lebanon), who died when Berenice was 23, she married the physician Shimeon Ben Gamaliel, of the House of the great Rabbi Hillel, to whose teachings she became a committed disciple. Later after the murder of Shimeon in Jerusalem, she would travel to Rome , as the mistress of Titus , destroyer of the Temple and later Emperor of Rome.

It is a novel of colour, sound and passion. I was deeply moved for my Nation of Israel , reading about the massacre of Jewish children in Jerusalem in 66 CE by the order of the cruel Roman procurator Gessius Florus.

Through the conflict at the time between Pharisee and Sadducee, Hillelite and Zealot, Sicarii and Hellenist, this is ultimately the story of the Land of Israel and the attachment through the ages of the Jewish Nation to that land. It is the story of the dreams and future of the children of Israel.

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Jewish history lesson in Roman times.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny...the copy of the book that I read was from a library sale, and just had a plain, orange cover - and I never even thought of it as a romance until I saw the cover art here. I enjoyed the story because it had a well-written, strong female protagonist. Not a fantastic book - but enjoyable nonetheless.

[caffeinated reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few clarifications. The Agrippa here is *not* the awesome Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, right hand man of Augustus, but King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of the baddie Herod the Great in the Bible. The daughter in this book is neither the Elder or Younger Agrippina of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. Rather, the "daughter" referred to in this book is Berenice, Jewish queen during the second half of the first century, and who had an affair with Titus of the Flavian Dynasty.

I was expecting a lot of Ancient Rome action from the Flavian Dynasty but Titus only made his appearance in the last 30% of the book. Berenice moved to Rome when Titus became Emperor but her sojourn was brief. Frankly, I was aghast that after wading through all the Jewish philosophical, cultural, and political narratives (I even braved the graphical description of Polemon, King of Cilicia's circumcision!), the book abruptly ended with the fiery Berenice, suddenly old, tired, and dying like an ordinary mortal.

“Where am I?” “In the House of Hillel, under the terebinth tree.” “That’s a good place to be,” she agreed, as simply and gently as a child. “I am tired now, and I want to sleep.” That night Berenice Basagrippa died—in her fifty-fourth year. They buried her on the hillside next to her husband, Shimeon Bengamaliel, the grandson of the sage who is remembered as Hillel the Good. In time the gravestone was carried away or sank into the ground, and so the grave was unmarked and became one with the ancient soil of Galilee in Israel.

You will understand my disappointment as this was the vainglorious Berenice who haughtily said to Vespasian:

“That, Imperator, is of concern only to myself and to Titus. And further, do not address me as woman. My ancestors were priests at Jerusalem and kings at Megiddo when Rome was a circle of mud huts inhabited by brutes who had not yet learned to weave cloth or even to smelt copper. And as for this meeting, I think that I at least have had sufficient of it—and if you will permit me, I should like to go.”

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

10 It’s always difficult for me to enjoy a book when I don’t like the main character. And I didn’t like this Berenice at all. She did awful lot of smart talking for a 16 year old. Married off to her uncle - not sure why it is not mentioned like this rather than her ‘fathers brother’. Perhaps she was forced too be more mature.She is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Mr Fast always managed to make history enjoyable and his filling in of things that are not written down is very credible. There will be no more Jewish kings over what you people call Israel and what we call Palestine.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed by this. I read a different book by the author (The Hessian) and really enjoyed it, plus the subject matter of this one was intriguing, so my hopes were high. There were moments of interest (the siege of Jerusalem and the tension leading up to her father's death in particular), but there was too much philosophizing and going on and on about the same few ideas. This was a let-down.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow moving

A poor imitation of Lion Feutchwanger's Josephus trilogy.

I will give Fast this. He did a great job of taking a critical stance to much of the gossip of first century historiography. I also like that despite the cover art, her relationship with Titus was a very small portion of the novel.

[Billye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was historical fiction about The daughter of Israel’s King Agrippa I, Berenice, in the 1st century AD. It is during this time that the Temple is destroyed by the Romans.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting historical fiction account of the early Roman empire, Titus, and his love for his older wife Bernice, Queen of Israel.

[Lorri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Howard Fast impressed me with this book, and its historical aspect.

[Andrew Kaplan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Effective recreation of the fall of Jerusalem

Fast's novel retells the story of the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD through the POV of Berenice, daughter of Agrippa. He blames the fall of the Temple and the Diaspora of the Jews in the internal Jewish conflicts and the intransigence of religious zealots.

[Lau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to give up on this one for now. Will try again later.

[Velvetink]

tuebl

[Therese]

$2.99