Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for Sept. 4–10

Here, we travel to Ancient Rome near the end of the Republic, as Tiro—slave, confidant, and secretary—tells of the rise of his master Cicero in the courts of Rome. Focused first on the trial of Verres, a corrupt former governor of Sicily, this masterful novel leads us into the circles of power dominating the city while showing how his prosecution of Verres thrust Cicero to fame. This is historical fiction at its best, detailed in description while holding the reader’s interest throughout.