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by Lauren J. A. Bear
A powerful and fierce reimagining of the earliest Roman legend: the twins, Romulus and Remus, mythical founders of history's greatest empire, and the woman whose sacrifice made it all possible.
The names Romulus and Remus may be immortalized in map and stone and chronicle, but their mother exists only as a preface to her sons' journey, the princess turned oath-breaking priestess, condemned to death alongside her children.
But she did not die; she survived. And so does her story.
Beautiful, royal, rich: Rhea has it all—until her father loses his kingdom in a treacherous coup, and she is sent to the order of the Vestal Virgins to ensure she will never produce an heir.
Except when mortals scheme, gods laugh.
Rhea becomes pregnant, and human society turns against her. Abandoned, ostracized, and facing the gravest punishment, Rhea forges a dangerous deal with the divine, one that will forever change the trajectory of her life…and her beloved land.
To save her sons and reclaim their birthright, Rhea must summon nature's mightiest force – a mother's love – and fight.
All roads may lead to Rome, but they began with Rhea Silvia.
Lauren J.A. Bear will be here next week, 6/15-6/17
Hey, fellow readers! Lauren J.A. Bear will be here next Monday for a Q & A. She's the author of our recent BookBrowse Book Club book, Aphrodite in Pieces, as well as Mother of Rome and Medusa's Sisters. I hope you'll join us!
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (6/11/2026)
This week I read https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/24510/contrapposto Contrapposto by Dave Eggers for review. It's about two friends who meet as children and have an on-and-off relationship for the next 60 years. It's got some beautiful writing and I enjoy...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (6/4/2026)
I read https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/23457/a-pair-of-aces A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray for the BookBrowse Book Club discussion , and I'm almost done with https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_pr...
-kim.kovacs
Have you read either of Lauren J.A. Bear’s previous novels, Medusa’s Sisters or Mother of Rome? If so, how do they compare to Aphrodite in Pieces?
I have not read her other books, but I am now interested in back list. I think it was the ending that did it for me, I just wasn't expecting it. Thanks for introducing me to another new author.
-Dee_Driscole
BookBrowsers Ask Lauren J.A. Bear, author of Aphrodite in Pieces
Please join us for a Q & A with Lauren J.A. Bear, the author of the BookBrowse Book Club selection, https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/ Aphrodite in Pieces , as well as the novels https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/22296/mother-of-rome Mother of Ro...
-kim.kovacs
Overall, what did you think of Aphrodite in Pieces? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
I loved this book and now want to read Mother of Rome and Medusa's sisters. I would give it 5 stars for its literary flow and the way she wove the story together. I found myself caught up in wondering what was going to happen next. I liked her look at the characters after Troy. I wasn't expecting...
-Marilyn_M
"Superb... .Themes of sisterhood and motherhood, nature and wildness, survival, and love in its many forms resonate throughout. Bear weaves a layered, captivating story of the two tenacious women behind the birth of Rome that will resonate with readers long after the final page. Highly recommended for readers who love mythological retellings like Madeline Miller's Circe or those who enjoy tales of fierce women seizing control of their own destiny." —Library Journal (starred review)
"In Bear's hands, women's stories—and women's rages, hopes and fears—matter. Cathartic and moving, Mother of Rome reimagines the founding myth of Rome in a way that transcends gods and empires, instead focusing on the humanity at the story's core." —BookPage (starred review)
"Bear brings her strong heroine to life with compassion and skill. The result is a must-read for fans of mythology retellings." —Publishers Weekly
"[A] spectacularly crafted, spellbinding, reimagined legend portraying a woman who refuses to go silently into the night... . A vibrantly written, vividly evoked novel of Rome's mythic origins that deserves a place beside the classic sagas of Mary Renault and Robert Graves." —Booklist
"Feminine rage in book form, Lauren J.A. Bear's reimagining of Rhea Silvia and her cousin Antho is powerful, compelling, and absolutely unforgettable. Mother of Rome has become one of my all-time favorite books." —Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart
"Mother of Rome is the gripping, poignant, and thoroughly spellbinding tale of Rhea Silvia, the fierce and formidable woman who gave birth to Remus and Romulus. Lauren J. A. Bear brings the legend to life with elegant prose and emotional intelligence, merging myth with a powerful tale of womanhood in all its forms. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. Utterly superb." —Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author of The Muse of Maiden Lane
This information about Mother of Rome was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lauren J. A. Bear was born in Boston and raised in Long Beach. After studying English at UCLA and education at LMU, she taught middle-school humanities for over a decade—and survived! She is a teaching fellow for the Holocaust Center for Humanity and lives in Seattle with her husband and three young children. She likes crossword puzzles and being on or near the water without getting wet.
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