I’m delighted to share a review of Daughter of Ruins by Yvette Manessis Corporon, as part of TLC Book Tours. This is a page-turning historical saga that I inhaled in one day!

Publisher: Harper Muse (October 8, 2024)
Paperback: 400 pages

About the Book:

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.

My Review:

I had eight billion loads of laundry to fold and put away so I grabbed an audio copy of Daughter of Ruins and I listened from morning to night, not wanting to stop. This is a story that follows three Greek women: A motherless daughter. An Italian prostitute. A mail-order bride. And shows how each woman in her own way overcame serious hardships. 

This 400 page work of historical fiction, traveling throughout history truly is a sweeping tale that is steeped in the rich history, culture, and myths of Greece. I found myself going through all the emotions the three women experienced – my heart both soaring and breaking – and admiring them for who they were and who they became. 

I also found the various settings throughout history, especially settings and scenes in Greece, were fascinating as that is not an area or history I know a lot about. 

Fans of historical fiction focused on generations of families should rush to get a copy in their hands. This is the kind of book you can settle into. 

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.