Calliope Stephanides has an intricate and complex family history, traveling from Mount Olympus in Greece to Detroit during the prohibition. The key to Calliope’s identity is hidden deep within their family history, a secret that leads to a genetic defect that causes Calliope to question her own identity. Told in alternating narratives between the past and the present, readers get the full scope of Calliope’s family history, and a deeper understanding of her transformation into Cal.
This is a book that has been on my to-read list for a long time, mostly because I’ve always been interested in gender analysis, and this book does fascinating things with gender. While it took me a bit to get into the story, once I started to see how everything was connected I couldn’t put it down. The story was intricate and detailed, the family history finally unfolding into everything in the very end.
Not only was Calliope’s/Cal’s story extremely fascinating, but Eugenides is able to accurately capture the various time periods as well. They’re described in immense detail, immersing the reader completely in the time period and the story. This is one of those books that makes you keep thinking once it’s finished, and it is a wonderfully crafted piece of literature.
4.5/5 stars