The Conundrum of Calliope’s Fate

A fictitious novel inspired by true events in the life of the author, this is the story of a young woman whose father was American, of British descent, and her mother Greek. Born in the States in the aftermath of World War 2, Calliope was raised in Athens, following the divorce of her parents and the remarriage of her mother. At university in the U.S., Calliope’s life is thrown into disarray when she falls in love with a wealthy Jewish student, whose parents were Holocaust survivors. Drafted into the army, Daniel is tragically killed in Vietnam and the subsequent birth of their daughter out of wedlock dramatically alters the course of Calliope’s life. Helena, Daniel’s mother, brings up her granddaughter in the Judaic tradition and Calliope returns to Greece, never to disclose the existence of her child, even to her future Greek spouse. This is a poignant account of love and loss and, above all, the implacable forces of the inevitability of fate in Calliope’s life.