Daughter of Ruins
A Novel
by Yvette Manessis Corporon
Narrated by Alex Sarrigeorgiou
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Pub Date Oct 08 2024 | Archive Date Nov 08 2024
HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse
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Description
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.
Advance Praise
'A moving and transporting novel about the possibilities of friendship and fulfillment amidst deep loss. DAUGHTER OF RUINS explores the harm caused not just by forces of nature but by damaged souls. A testament to the magic and love that women constantly create in ordinary days and despite extraordinary circumstances.' -Marian Kamali, bestselling author of THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN
'A sumptuous feast of love and history, DAUGHTER OF RUINS is Corporon's most robust and poetic offering to date. With lush language and arresting backdrops, the myth and magic of women bound by tenacity and threatened by circumstance and war, is as enriching as it is unforgettable.' -Rachel McMillan, author of THE MOZART CODE
'An epic, transportive saga complete with vibrant settings, rich mythology and storytelling, and unforgettable heroines--compelling, immerse, and deeply satisfying.' -Lee Kelly, author of THE STARLETS and THE ANTIQUITY AFFAIR
'Start this engrossing, mesmerizing and loving book and you won't want to put it down. From the first page, I was transported into Yvette Manessis Corporon's layered story of resilience and strength. She writes with heart and soul and offers unforgettable characters, rich in history and mythology. A page turner to the very end. DAUGHTER OF RUINS would make for an excellent screen adaptation--listen up Hollywood!' -Adam Glassman, Oprah Daily
'The word is spellbinding! Yvette Manessis Corporon makes history feel intimate in this sweeping novel, which goes beyond the Greece you've seen in tourist photos and into the country's tumultuous 20th century. Demetria, who has an artist's spirit in a time and place that finds such things impractical, finds out what it means to forge her own path. You will be cheering her on.' -Today.com
Available Editions
EDITION | Audiobook, Unabridged |
ISBN | 9781400236138 |
PRICE | |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Daughter of Ruins is a captivating journey through the lives of generations of Greek women, intertwining past and present in a beautifully woven narrative. Yvette Manessis Corporon crafts a story that effortlessly tugs at the reader’s emotions, ranging from joyful nostalgia to deep sorrow. The characters are wonderfully relatable, with rich development that draws you into their personal struggles, hopes, and dreams.
The emotional depth of the story is further enhanced by the beautiful narration of Alex Sarrigeorgiou, whose tone, annunciation, and character depth bring this multi-generational tale to life. Her performance pulled me into the story, making every character feel vivid and real.
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy family sagas, historical fiction, or those with a deep appreciation for stories that explore the complexities of heritage, identity, and the bonds between women across generations. If you’re drawn to narratives that evoke a wide range of emotions and transport you across time and place, Daughter of Ruins will not disappoint.
Thank you to NetGalley, Yvette Manessis Corporon, and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for the opportunity to listen and review Daughter of Ruins.
I couldn't stop listening to this one. I got this as an audiobook ARC (thanks, netgalley) and just lost myself in this beautifully realistic story.
This story mainly takes place in Greece during the time between 1920 and 1953. It follows the life of Dimitra, a young girl whose mother died when Dimitra was very young. Dimitra lives a fairly lonely life with her father, who expects her to behave like a traditional Greek girl where her only value is in that of a wife and mother. When her father eventually remarries, Dimitra learns the value of authentic female companionship. Women lifting up other women and women celebrating women is a reoccurring theme in this story, but it's subtle. As Dimitra gets older, her father's desire to marry her off increases, but Dimitra wants more than to be someone's betrothed. She wants love.
Elena is a prostitute from Italy. Her mother was a prostitute too. She is beautiful and caring. The Italian soldiers she services on the Greek island are kind and gentle, but things change with the German occupation.
Maria is from a small Greek town. Her family gets by, but barely. To make ends meet, her father decides to turn her into a mail-order-bride. She embarks on a journey from Greece to America where she finds that the American Dream looks different for everyone.
These three women have lives that entwine with each other, and Corporon has done a marvelous job at crafting their stories together seamlessly. I want to add all her books to my cart and go lose myself in them. This is a book for the readers who love a good historical fiction novel. There is love, female empowerment, poverty, destitution, character development, found family, and mythology all in a story that centers around three strong women forging their way in life.
The story took me through so many emotions. I laughed, got angry, and cried. I was reminded of my own life and how love looks different for everyone.
I listened to the audiobook put out by Harper Muse Audiobooks and narrated by Alex Sarrigeorgiou. The narrator's use of accents and her clear voice made this a pleasure to listen to. I was fully immersed in my "reading" experience with her as my guide. I would absolutely listen to another audio that she narrates.
This was a heartfelt, emotional, and captivating journey through the lives of three courageous women who faced numerous challenges. I was unable to put this novel down and read it in one sitting. I highly recommend this remarkable novel to everyone.
Thank you for this ARC #HarperCollins,#Netgalley, #DaughterofRuins
Historical fiction isn't something I read often. Not unlike sci-fi/fantasy novels, it requires a higher level of effort from the reader than other genres. It can be slower to suck you in, demanding patience as the story threads weave themselves together. But if you're lucky, as the pieces dance and settle into their places, you'll be left with an intricate tapestry that takes your breath away. Daughter of Ruins stands in testament of that truth. It serves as a beacon to how powerful the genre can be.
Demitra is a motherless daughter brought back to her father's home country of Greece after losing his wife in America. She uses drawing as a coping mechanism in her childhood loneliness, sketching Italian soldiers of the World Wars where they find leisure on the Greek beaches. Then the war takes a turn and the once lithe and eager bodies are piled high and lifeless. There are many hard lessons like this one in store for Demitra as she navigates the world, and this book follows her through many trials and tribulations through her life, though it is not all hardship. Her journey takes her from Greece to America and back again, and all the while she is developing into the woman she was destined to be.
I think the story captured the life of a young woman so well. It was a difficult time in Greece, and a difficult time for women. Though she had no direct maternal influence, there were many strong women mentors in Demitra's life. With an artist's curiosity she observed the world around her, turning her wisdom and unique understanding into art.
I am still quite stunned by the intricate structure of this novel. Demitra uses many figures of Greek mythology to analogize the human lives around her and translates them into her art. She dives deep into her understanding of the gods before she draws them, and though they are done with simple materials, her art has a depth that is undeniable by those who witness it.
This is an emotional book. There is grief and sorrow and growth and healing and hope and faith and passion and curiosity and pain and confusion and determination and love. There is tenderness and betrayal. There is scheming and outsmarting and deceit and compassion. There is everything under the umbrella of human emotion, because this is a human story.
I will not soon forget this story. Demitra and Maria and Elena and Aphrodite and all of those who weave in and out of these pages. I listened to this as an advanced listeners copy from netgalley and the publisher and I have nothing but great things to say about the incredible narrator Alex Sarrigeorgiou. Phenomenal work. There is something special about the story of a woman coming into her own. I hope you will read it.
Between the well developed characters, the family secrets, and the story detail, this was an amazing novel.
I really enjoyed Daughter of Ruins! The rich history and beautiful settings Yvette Manessis Corporon takes us through were stunning. I did have a bit of trouble following all the characters in the audiobook at first, but as I became familiar with the characters, the story unfolded beautifully. The journeys of these compelling women are captivating, and the mix of Greek culture and mythology added a special touch. A lovely read overall!
Daughter of Ruins follows the stories several women in Greece and jumps back in forth in time spanning the 1920's, 50's, and 70's. It's one of those books that tough to read, but sticks with you for life. This is because of how difficult the subject matter is. The women in the book go through many trials, including abusive men, manipulative women, and natural disasters that change their lives forever.
As a historic fiction lover, I can confirm this book is unique in it's content. Even though it spans the time of WWII, the war isn't the main focus. What it does focus on is the sacrifices women had to constantly make in a time and culture where they were expected to be meek homemakers who defer to the men in their lives.
I highly recommend this book for any historic fiction or women's fiction lover!
My Quick Takes:
- 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Language 🤐 mild, 2 instances
- Spice ❤️🔥 closed door
- Content Consideration 🤔 parent death, infant loss, infidelity, domestic abuse
- Target Audience 🎯 Adult
Wow. I don’t know what I expected out of this book but it surprised me in the best way. Following three greek women over the course of 60 years, Daughter of Ruins plumbs the depths of the hardships everyday Greek women faced in the mid 20th century.
I could not put this book down as I cried my way through the pages of heartache, triumph, setbacks, devastation, and the trials that women can endure during their lifetime. I enjoyed the coming of age narrative and the bits of history woven into the timeline, like WW2 and other lesser known historical events in Greece. It made me think of books like Pachinko, and A Thousand Splendid Suns. A must read for fans of Kristin Hannah or Marjan Kamali.
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