Daughter of Ruins by Yvette Manessis Corporon is a poignant dual-time narrative set in Greece and the United States. The author artfully weaves together Greek mythology and art with the post-war travails of everyday Greeks, brave women, arranged marriages, and the heartbreaking cost of human trafficking. This page-turning historical novel entertains us, even as it moves, and educates us.

The novel’s engaging protagonists are Maria (‘past’ - 1920s) and her daughter, Demitra (‘present’ – 1940s onwards). Raised by her ‘Baba’, Pericles, Demitra mourns the loss of the mother she barely remembers, after her father returned with her from Milwaukee to his home island of Cephalonia. There, left to struggle with her Baba’s unaccountable hostility, Demitra writes letters to her mother, whom she’s recast as a goddess from Greek myth. Compelled to create, Demitra loves nothing better than to sketch the beauty around her. Baba has no tolerance for his daughter’s gift, instead determining to marry her off to the hapless Niko as soon as possible.

Niko is but one of several beautifully constructed supporting characters who provide a convincing picture of Greek community life in this challenging period. Stella was another one of my favourite characters, together with Demitra’s cousin Sophia, her husband, Tino, and family, who offer Demitra an escape route from Baba’s single-minded plans. I appreciated the author’s skill in balancing conflict and injustice with the warmth and generosity of people of goodwill.

Eleni is another trafficking victim, condemned by the bigotry of the era to follow her mother into the sex industry. Her story intersects with Demitra’s when Eleni accompanies Italian soldiers to Cephalonia during their occupation of the island during World War II.

Twenty years prior, Maria’s story is interwoven strategically with Demitra’s. Unknowingly tricked into posing for a photograph by her father, Maria finds herself shipped off to the United States with other hapless Greek girls — some as young as fourteen — as ‘picture brides’ for Greek emigrants in search of a wife. The girls’ fear and bewilderment are masterfully depicted, even more so as we follow Maria’s journey into her marriage with Pericles. Pericles is a difficult character to like, but it must be said that the author does a superb job in calibrating his story arc as well.

Love and loss, creation, and devastation, run through this riveting story. The unifying device of Greek myth is a clever one, sensitively portrayed, and doesn’t overpower the narrative or require any prior knowledge by the reader. But it’s the central triad of women — Maria, Demitra, and Eleni — who are the driving force of this warm and compassionate novel, which I recommend whole heartedly.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.