Five stories, five women, five legends.
Phaedra, a Minoan princess, marries out of duty and to safeguard her precious home. She falls in love with Hippolytos, her husband’s son and asks the Goddess Aphrodite for help. He spurns her affections.
The Trojan War, one of history’s greatest stories ever told. What if the legend as told is wrong? History is told by the victors, and facts changed to twist the truth. Is it possible Helen of Sparta never went to Troy?
Hera, Queen of the Gods, is the most powerful goddess on Mount Olympos. For the first time ever in a candid interview, Hera shares what it’s like to be a goddess and wife to Zeus, the King of the Gods.
Created by the gods as a gift to humanity, Pandora is the first woman on Earth. Did she know what Zeus intended when he presented an urn as a wedding dowry to her husband? Neither she nor Epimetheus knew what it contained, but they were told never to open it.
All Medousa wanted was a life of love and acceptance but one fateful night it changed. While she’s alone in the Temple of Athene tending to the sacred fire, Poseidon pays a visit. No human can stop an immortal from taking what they want.
Reviews
Reviewed by Kayti Nika Raet for Readers’ Favorite
“Accursed Women, a collection of short stories by Luciana Cavallaro, is a unique and interesting take on Greek myths with five stories (each with ‘curse’ somewhere in the title) told from the perspective of five different women. You don’t have to know much about Greek myths and legends to recognize the names Helen, Hera, or Medusa, nor do you need to enjoy the temperament of a character (Phaedra) to be drawn in by the story. In Accursed Women, Cavallaro operates under the premise that there are two sides to every story and, as most of Greece’s myths and legends were written by men, Accursed Women is a chance for the females to run the show, whether it is a secret letter written by a dying woman, an interview with an historian, or an appearance on one of those tell-all talk shows popular in the ’90s. They insist on telling the story how it ‘really happened,’ revealing themselves as strong, capable women and not as the hysterical females of the legends.
Accursed Women makes for an interesting and fun read that goes by super fast. Each story had its own unique twist and they were almost equally enjoyable. Cavallaro’s love of Greece and its legends really shines through as well as her determination to cast the often times beleaguered — accursed— women in a different and modern light. There is a list of discussion questions in the back which make Accursed Women the perfect book to be shared among friends or with a book club.”
“A wonderful work of fiction! I’ve always loved Greek mythology and this short story collection was a fresh, riveting read. Highly recommended!” Amazon Reviewer
“Splendidly written, Luciana Cavallaro gives life and personality to some of the most famous and fascinating characters of Greek mythology. However, ACCURSED WOMEN is mythology with a modern twist! The stories don’t read like a dry academic recounting, instead the author weaves mythological legends with modern motif.” Amazon Reviewer
“An innovative and compelling read. Highly recommended!” Amazon Reviewer
“My favourite stories in this book were the tales of Helen and Medousa. Very well wrought, and I highly recommend this book and this author.” Amazon Reviewer
“All the stories are well written and packed with information. They are highly readable and entertaining. I’m sure if school Classics lessons had been this interesting I would have paid more attention.” Amazon Reviewer
“This book was recommended to me and I’m so glad I read it because I discovered Luciana Cavallaro’s writing. She gives vibrancy and personality to the most famous Greek myths.” Amazon Reviewer
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Luciana Cavallaro 