Georg Ebers's Klea en Irene (The Sisters) is a historical novel set in Ptolemaic Egypt, a period and place the author specialized in. The story revolves around the lives of two sisters, Klea and Irene, who serve as water-bearers in the temple of Serapis in Memphis. Despite their shared circumstances, the sisters possess contrasting natures: Klea is serious, devout, and carries the weight of a mysterious past, while Irene is beautiful, light-hearted, and more susceptible to worldly pleasures. Their quiet, ritualistic life is disrupted by the arrival of a party of Greeks, including a nobleman named Publius Scipio. He becomes instantly captivated by Irene's beauty, while simultaneously developing a deeper, more complex connection with the thoughtful and principled Klea. The plot thickens as the sisters' unknown parentage becomes a central mystery, linking them to a significant political or religious secret. The narrative explores the clash between Egyptian religious traditions and the encroaching Hellenistic culture, as well as the conflict between personal desire and sacred duty. As with Ebers's other works, the novel is rich with historical detail, bringing to life the temples, palaces, and social tensions of ancient Alexandria and Memphis, all while weaving a dramatic tale of love, identity, and sisterly loyalty.

Table of Contents:

• Free Sample

• Klea en Irene (The Sisters). Part 1

• Klea en Irene (The Sisters). Part 2

• Klea en Irene (The Sisters). Part 3

• Klea en Irene (The Sisters). Part 4

• Klea en Irene (The Sisters). Part 5

• Klea en Irene (The Sisters). Part 6