The Emperor's Babe

A story written completely in verse, liberally sprinkled with Latin vocabulary, sounds like a recipe for terminal boredom. Far from it. This is an intoxicating, outrageous romp through London in the second century AD, and the frantic pace will leave you breathless but panting for more. Evaristo is an established poet, and her debut verse novel, Lara, scooped her the EMMA best book award in 1999. She returns to the genre with a vengeance in her latest book, which was inspired by her research into the history of Roman London. When she discovered black Africans formed a substantial minority of the London population, the idea for her feisty Sudanese heroine was born. Zuleika is a streetwise young urchin at the start of the book, rollicking round London with her mates Alba and the transvestite Venus (nee Rufus). Her wild-oat-sowing days are soon cut short, however, when she is married off to the ponderous but wealthy Felix who leaves her to mooch around his expensive villa, bored and frustrated, while he travels the globe on interminable business ventures. Writing poetry, entertaining her parents and vile young brother, and sneaking out with Alba and Venus all help to pass the time, until the day she is spotted at the theatre by the Roman Emperor himself, Septimius Severus. They embark upon a passionate affair which can only end in disaster. This is a thoroughly modern rendering of an ancient tale and one of the book's fascinations is spotting the hundreds of modern references that strew its pages. A flower shop is called Wild@Heart; a local protest poet bears the name Manumittio X; even lyrics from West Side Story pop up ('There's a place for us/Somewhere a place for us'). Reading The Emperor's Babe is as exhilarating as a cold shower - Latin has never been so much fun! (Kirkus UK)