Aurelia knows exactly what she's doing when she engages in a clandestine affair with Cassius, a plebeian soldier: plotting her escape from her mundane and privileged life on one of Rome’s seven hills.
Her plans are routed when Cassius’s legion suddenly leaves Rome, she realizes she’s pregnant, and her family arranges her betrothal to Domitius, a power-hungry senator. Abortion or exile are now her only choices. Aurelia sacrifices her baby and her freedom in order to wed Domitius, all in the name of duty and satisfying her ancestors, whom she has the power to visit in the Underworld.
Resigned to a dull and loveless life, Aurelia is shocked to discover that her husband and uncle conspire to kill the emperor and destroy the empire—a move that would disgrace her, her entire family, and her ancestors. Unable to stand by while her uncle razes everything her family once stood for to the ground, she poisons him. Now a criminal, Aurelia flees, undertaking a thousand-mile odyssey which threatens poverty, slavery, death, and dishonor. What is Rome to her now? That is the question she must face as she forges a new life with people she would have called “barbaric” from her ancestors’ hilltop perch.
Praise for Daughter of the Seven Hills
“Daughter of the Seven Hills is a captivating and thought-provoking read, merging meticulous historical research with a high-stakes plot and compelling characters. From the first page to the last, readers will find themselves desperately rooting for Aurelia, Vita and the good people they meet on their way, even when all the odds are stacked against them…” - Reedsy Discovery
“In a riveting tale of sacrifice and finding one’s identity among the shambles of an old life, author Margaret McNellis brings Aurelia and ancient Rome to life vividly in this thrilling narrative. Readers will cry between smiles and cheer on the protagonists every step of the way. Hold your breath because the battle for Britain—and freedom—is now underway.” - Historical Novel Society
Additional formats are on their way!