“In an idyllic Cretan village, a darkness lurks. A brilliantly unsettling yet compelling read.” C. Fitton, author of Her Dead Boyfriend
A peaceful mountain village in 1990s Crete. Katerina is an American woman who lives a tranquil life with her husband Dimitris and their daughter Aspasia. But when Dimitris leaves to work on a cargo ship, a terrible secret shatters Katerina’s world. Suddenly, life in the village turns claustrophobic, threatening both Aspasia’s safety and Katerina’s sanity.
Drawing inspiration from Sophocles' timeless play Antigone, Aspasia is a gripping tale of two shocking crimes. The novel delves into the depths of a mother's love and the extraordinary lengths one woman will go to safeguard her child.
What did I think?
I almost didn't read Aspasia as I'm not familiar with Sophocles' play Antigone but you don't need to know anything about Antigone to read Aspasia as I think it's brilliant.
There are some difficult subjects broached in Aspasia and, although difficult to read, they are very sensitively and respectfully portrayed. These disturbing events lead to a mother plotting revenge to ensure the safety of her daughter.
My heart went out to Katerina as she is left to deal with things on her own while her husband is working away. The village is a close-knit community and Katerina will always be an outsider so she has to be very cunning when planning her vengeance. There are some surprisingly humorous scenes that perfectly balance the serious nature of the story.
The characters are so well developed that I could visualise them in my head and I could even imagine the picturesque village in Crete. For such a short book (221 pages), it just shows the quality of Florence Wetzel's writing to be able to describe such vivid scenes with her carefully selected and beautifully crafted words.
Dark and disturbing but so beautifully written, Aspasia is a hidden gem of a thriller and I would highly recommend that you discover it for yourself.
I received a gifted paperback to take part in The Love Books Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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