Galloway, Priscilla. The courtesan's daughter.Random House, Delacorte. 259p. c2002. 0-385-72907-3. $16.95. JS Galloway, who has written Truly Grim Tales Grim Tales may refer to:
n. A woman prostitute, especially one whose clients are members of a royal court or men of high social standing. [French courtisane, from Old French, from Old Italian cortigiana in 343 and 340 BC. This story has a complicated plot and takes place in a fully realized place--Athens at the time of a threat from King Philip King Philip See Philip, King. of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. The politics of the era are integral to the life of the heroine, Phano, the stepdaughter step·daugh·ter n. A spouse's daughter by a previous union. stepdaughter Noun a daughter of one's husband or wife by an earlier relationship Noun 1. of a courtesan. Phano's father is an aristocrat, but strangely poverty stricken, so he has to allow his wife to continue her work so that the family has money. But Phano's reputation is shaky at best, just by association with her mother. All changes when Phano's superior beauty and intelligence win the heart of a rising young politician, and the family moves heaven and earth to get the marriage arranged and thereby achieve a more secure position in Athenian society. The villain of the story is an ugly, powerful oligarch ol·i·garch n. A member of a small governing faction. [Greek oligarkh who is corrupt and violent. This villain has bought Phano's mother as a courtesan and seeks to destroy the family, especially when they become aware that he may be making a secret deal with Philip of Macedon Philip was the name of several Macedonian monarchs:
This is not a story for the YA unprepared for a challenging historical novel. Yet, Galloway makes the life in Athens seem vividly real, in all its intricacies. It helps that the story contains all the elements we enjoy: good vs. evil; romance; violence; family intrigues. Claire Rosser, KLIATT |
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