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

Historical Fiction | Multicultural Interest | Women's Fiction

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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