Paul Coulter

The Maiden's Odyssey Paul Coulter

THE MAIDEN'S ODYSSEY is historical fiction, set in the 8th Century BCE. A young captive named Nerissa survives her slave ship's passage from Asia Minor to the Greek island of Ithaca. Purchased by an aristocratic family, she first encounters Homer when he recites The Iliad at a banquet where she?s serving. Once her master Theoton discovers Nerissa?s keen intelligence, he involves her in his plan to introduce democracy. When Theoton's fortunes turn, Nerissa?s sold off to a man of a much different stripe. Brutalized by her second master Tragus, Nerissa escapes, only to be recaptured and punished harshly. She seeks blind Homer's protection, but he insists on returning her. While leading Homer errantly, Nerissa recounts the ordeal of her family that led to her enslavement. As he struggles with the opening for his new poem The Odyssey, Homer becomes intrigued by Nerissa's tale. He corrects her at each juncture, insisting on turning real events into heroic exploits manipulated by the Gods. But he refuses to buy her, deeply scornful of a woman's ability to be a scribe. Actually, he's heavily in debt, and can't afford the few drachma it would cost for a damaged slave. Their encounter sets off a chain of tragedy and triumph winding through the next ten years.