Synopses & Reviews
Review
“Complete with delightful renderings of Socratic dialogue and thoughtful looks into the customs and knowledge of the time, Just Myrto is a lively story of some of the most important people of the Classical period of ancient Greece. The depth of Grays research shows in the accuracy of the details of daily life, yet doesnt interfere with the story or get in the way of the readers interest in the characters.” —Tracy Barrett, author, Dark of the Moon
Review
"An intimate introduction to Socrates, the famous philosopher of ancient Greece. In addition, Just Myrto offers intriguing glimpses of womens lives in ancient Greece, a notoriously male-centered society; it should find a place in feminist literature.” —Elsa Marston, author, The Compassionate Warrior: Abd El-Kader of Algeria and Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories About Teens in the Arab World
Review
"I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient Greek culture and in a riveting story of female empowerment." —Shirley Hershey Showalter, author, Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World
Review
"An unusual and quiet historical novel. The majority of this book is an examination of Socratic philosophy, resulting in a story with incredible intellectual growth on the part of the protagonist." —Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Readers will appreciate Myrtos growth from faint of heart to bold, impassioned woman. Most likely, the audience for this novel will be those studying ancient Greece and the Socratic method.” —Teri S. Lesesne, Voya
Review
"I really enjoyed how she fell in love with Socrates over time. Seeing her change in perspective towards him as the story progressed. I liked seeing the comparison of his teachings, opening the mind, compared with Myrto's thoughts about him and all the other characters as well." —Olivia, YALSA Teens Top Ten
Review
"I loved watching [Myrto] grow and mature into the strong, smart, independent woman she becomes and that comes from her following her own heart and then having the courage to move forward." —Sabrina, sabrinasparanormalpalace.blogspot.com
Review
"I very much enjoyed this book. . . . it will definitely appeal to fans of historical fiction, especially if you like the Ancient Greek time period." —Rachel Marie, thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com
Synopsis
The coming-of-age story of an ancient Greek woman who discovers the joy of being herself
As a young woman in ancient Greece, Myrto is doubly cursed to have been born a mortal and a female. When her father dies leaving no dowry for her to marry, Myrto's brother decides to give her to his former teacher, Socrates, as a second wife. Spending much of her time away from her new home in an attempt to avoid Socrates' cruel, first wife, Myrto soon strikes up an intellectual friendship with Plato. Although she wants nothing more than a friend, he has designs on more. Now Myrto must discover where she belongs in this quickly changing world and decide if she will accept the lot she has been given by her family, succumb to romantic love, or pave the way for women of the future to live better and less subjugated lives.
About the Author
Laurie Gray is the founder of Socratic Parenting LLC and an adjunct professor of criminal sciences at Indiana Tech University. She is the author of Maybe I Will and Summer Sanctuary, which won a Moonbeam Gold Medal for excellence in young adult fiction and was named a 2011 Indiana Best Book Finalist. She lives in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.