5-STAR REVIEW: DAUGHTER OF RUINS by Yvette Manessis Corporon

Book Reviews Historical Fiction Women's Fiction

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The Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2024

A motherless daughter. An Italian prostitute. A mail-order bride. Are these women brave enough to change their fates?

Demitra’s mother died in America in the 1930s when Demitra was three years old. Her father took her home to the Greek island of Cephalonia, where she endures a lonely childhood and dreams her dead mother watches over her, like the goddesses she reads about in her mythology books. When Demitra comes of age, she refuses to marry the man chosen for her. Instead, she defiantly begins an affair with a forbidden man who ignites her passion for painting the goddesses she once imagined protected her.

Elena is a beautiful Italian woman who dreamed of a life away from the brothels where she was raised. But opportunities are not meant for daughters of prostitutes and Elena has no choice but to become one herself. When Italy occupies Cephalonia, Elena finds work entertaining the soldiers. Her life on the island is happy and carefree–until the Germans arrive in 1943.

Maria lives in a poor mountain village in 1921 with a loving mother and sister. When her father grows desperate to feed his family, he sends her to America as a picture bride to marry a stranger. Only eighteen years old, Maria is terrified of the journey ahead.

Daughter of Ruins is an all-encompassing tale steeped in the rich history, culture, and myths of Greece. It is a deeply moving story that follows three women as they struggle to control their destinies, fighting to become the women they were meant to be.

The Review

The lives of three women unfold in a multi-faceted tale celebrating resilience in light of hardships.

Author Yvette Manessis Corporon transports readers to the Greek island of Cephalonia in Daughter of Ruins. There, we get to know young Demitra, who mourns the loss of the mother she can’t remember.

As a teenager, she’s fascinated by the beautiful and vivacious Italian woman who romps by the seaside with the soldiers. Little does she realize that Elena wishes for a different life, free of prostitution.

Demitra’s artistic skills mesh well with her love for Greek mythology. The author weaves historical information relating particularly to Greek goddesses into the text. As she rebels against an arranged marriage, she continues to forge her own path.

The timeline shifts from the early 1940s to 1921 to introduce Maria. She’s known as a Greek picture bride, sailing from Greece to America, where she will start a new life with a strange husband. Initially, I questioned how she fit in with the other two women, but as the plot deepens, her role is more apparent.

In spite of their differences, these three women face cultural challenges that cause them to struggle. How they handle those struggles provides a fantastic story.

Daughter of Ruins brings three women to life amid a backdrop of rich Greek culture. Buy Links

About The Author Yvette Manessis Corporon is an internationally bestselling author and Emmy Award–winning producer. To date, her books have been translated into sixteen languages. A first generation Greek-American with deep family roots on Corfu, Yvette studied classical civilization and journalism at New York University. She lives in Brooklyn with her family where she spends her spare time reading, running, and trying to get into yoga.