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Yvonne Korshak received her BA with honors from Harvard and PhD in Art History from the Univ. of California, Berkeley. As a professor at Adelphi University, she has taught Art History and Humanities and has written and spoken widely on Greek archaeology. Her blog, "Let's Talk Off-Broadway," focuses on art and theater. She has excavated at Old Corinth, Greece and, to write this novel, has followed in the tracks of Pericles and Aspasia, visiting almost all the cities and towns, landscapes and seascapes in Greece and in what today is Turkey that figure in this book. The Sword of the War God, a sequel to Pericles and Aspasia, will appear soon.
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Pericles and Aspasia by Yvonne Korshak revolves around the love story of the two titular characters in ancient Greece. In her late teens, Aspasia escapes from a pirate ship and swims to shore. Her philosopher father is dead, and the ship's captain was sexually abusing her, leading to her becoming a courtesan in Athens in order to survive. At a gathering, she meets Pericles, the famous Athenian leader. Pericles is immediately attracted to Aspasia as she proves herself to be deeply intelligent and well-read. They become lovers and their relationship is steadfast during multiple campaigns and Pericles's role as a general and statesman. Pericles divorces his wife to be with Aspasia and continues to grow Athens into a cultural and architectural powerhouse. Despite their critics, the pair is dedicated to one another, and together they face the challenges of Aspasia's background and Pericles' public image.
I did not know anything about this quite famous historical couple, Pericles and Aspasia, when I picked up Yvonne Korshak's sweeping saga. My interest stemmed from an upcoming trip to the Greek Isles that culminates in Athens. I was keen to read a novel that would enable me to form a connection to what I will see with actual people, beyond mere massive ruins surrounded by gawking but otherwise unknowing tourists. Yes, this is fiction, but only in the sense that Korshak, quite brilliantly, turns Pericles and Aspasia into lifelike people and formulates conversations and landscapes that fill in the blanks. The milestones of the age, which are Herculean in scope, are provided with spectacular context. I loved the Name Day celebration of Pericles's son, and having recently been in Turkey at the site of ancient Troy, scenes like Pericles's orchestration of a peace treaty with Sparta tickled me a bit. Different stories with recognizable parties. The political, cultural, historical, and personal aspects are really wonderful and I am certain those readers who love historical fiction will feel the same. Very highly recommended.
