Daughter of Ruins
This story of Demitra, a girl growing to maturity in a small Greek village in the mid-20th century, has depth and imagery far beyond the obvious. Two other women of significance in Demitra’s story are her mother, Maria, who was forced to leave Greece in 1921 to become the picture bride of a man in America; and Elena, who becomes a prostitute used by the invading soldiers of WW2. Raised by an apparently uncaring father, Demitra is expected to marry in 1943, but the young man selected for her is clearly inappropriate. To avoid scandal in the village, she goes to work for extended family in Corfu, where she meets the love of her life.
While most of the novel centers on Demitra’s love and longing, the emotional lives of Maria and Elena are also portrayed in sensitive and sensuous detail. The unity of the three stories emphasizes the novel’s theme of the strength of women and the power of their friendships to create healing and change.
While this can be read as a beautifully written and enthralling story, it carries within it the ancient Greek characters and myths, seen through a more modern lens and interpretation. The novel is full of action and movement, but always with emotional undertones and motives. The author reveals with great clarity the landscape of rural Greece, the inherited beliefs and narrow-mindedness of the old Greek villagers, the seascapes of Corfu, and the intensity of women’s loyalties. All three women are very much the daughters of their environment.
This is a powerful and very readable novel. Throughout the pages the reader is intensely aware of the author’s knowledge of, and commitment to, Greek mythology.
