To Follow the Goddess
Reviews
"Though brought up to inherit the role of her mother, Queen Leda, as keeper of the ancient mother-goddess cult increasingly suppressed by the reigning kings, beautiful Helen of Sparta intially fails to hear the Goddess of Heaven's voice within her. And no wonder - the hormone-bedeviled teen-ager lusts after handsome Meneleus, whose family has offended the Goddess by looting her temples for bronze.
"Upon Leda's death, the Goddess offers Helen the choice of marrying Meneleus at the cost of a life of misery and the destruction of Sparta, or sacrificing him in favor of older, craggy faced Odysseus - the "wisest among Achaeans" - with whom Helen would enjoy a long, happy reign as Sparta's queen. Naturally, Helen chooses Meneleus, and thus follow betrayals, misunderstandings, and intrigues that lead to the destruction of Sparta and Troy.
"Kidnapped by Paris, forced to marry him and bear sons by his cleverer brother, Deiphobus, Helen concentrates on protecting the hordes who worship her - whether as the Goddess of Earth in Sparta or as Inanna in Troy. Her efforts to play out the Goddess's maternal role are at cross purposes with the male rulers' ambitions, however - and constant misunderstandings result.
"Herding her subjects out of besieged Sparta, she is accused of abandoning her post. Refusing to abandon her Trojan sons when Meneleus arrives to rescue her, she commits treason. Then, attempting to free the Trojan people from their despotic rulers by allowing the Trojan horse within the city walls, she betrays her Trojan husband.
"Cargill's portrayal of Helen as supporter of the people and clever, if misunderstood, female in a world of men - as opposed to the more familiar fickle housewide - keeps this classic, action-packed tale bubbling until the last huzzah. An auspicious beginning - and a delightful read."
From The Kirkus Reviews
The love of a woman has often brought men to blows, but the power of a woman in the Mother Goddess religion gives men even stronger reasons for wanting her on their side. This adventurous and captivating historical novel about Queen Helen of Sparta gives a view of the Trojan War from a woman's perspective. Author Cargill shows that Helen wasn't valued simply for looks and sex appeal. "I think she must have had something far more important to offer - the ability to give legitimacy to the Spartan King's rule in the eyes of the common people. And the source of this piower was religious." Helen is warned of disaster by the Goddess if she marries Prince Menelaus, but Helen follows her heart and begins the destruction of a civilization. She is abducted by Paris to become a Goddess for the Trojans, and assumes her role as the Goddess Inanna. What follows is a war to win this sought-after woman of power. A tale of the fight for the blessings of a Goddess, the violence of men to acquire what they desire, and the undying love of a woman for her people and for the man who holds her heart. Historical and mythical information combine with the author's imagination and exploration of a woman's soul to make this a very special, unusually compelling story.
From The Book Reader, San Francisco
"What makes this novel outstanding is its characterization. Helen, the protagonist, is creatively drawn and moves logically to a mature, understanding, strong, humanistic woman. Menelaus is a macho of great pride and honesty. Torn between his need for kingly power and his deep, all-encompassing love for an equally strong-minded woman ... Menelaus [is] a believable, viable creation."
Henry Musmano, National Writers Book Contest
Everyone has heard of the Trojan Horse, and Helen of Troy - of how her beauty brought about the fall of a great nation. In Linda Cargill's first novel, we get the story from a woman's point of view - none other than Helen herself.
To Follow the Goddess is historical fiction that reads like a great adventure and a romance novel all in one. The characters are colorful and real, the story live and spellbounding.
Princess Helen of Sparta, keeper of the faith for the ancient religion of the Mother Goddess, must choose a husband to be King before she is crowned Queen of Sparta. Defying the Mother Goddess, she chooses her only love, Menelaus, as husband, and brings about her abduction by Paris, and ultimately, the destruction of Troy.
Author Cargill believes Helen must have possessed more than beauty to bring about such events in history. "I think she must have had something far more important to offer - the ability to give legitimacy to the Spartan King's rule in the eyes of the common people," says Cargill. "And the source of this power was religious."
Helen's constant efforts to serve the Mother Goddess' maternal role on earth, whether as the Goddess on Earth in Sparta or the Inanna in Troy, conflict with the male ruler's ambitions; this is the core and continuity of To Follow the Goddess. It is a most enjoyable way to absorb a little history.
From The Bulletin, Appleton, WI
Here is a perfect example of "Don't judge a book by its cover." If you ignore the horrible cover, this book is a lot of fun. Linda Cargill's first novel, it is the story of the Trojan War told from the point of view of Helen of Troy. I would suggest To Follow the Goddess to readers who already know the characters involved and want to see through Helen's eyes. It could be confusing to read this version without being familiar with the story of Troy, since the motivations of the characters aren't usually made clear. Even with its flaws, by the time I was halfway through, I didn't want to put it down. If what you want is to lose yourself in a piece of light fiction, this will serve nicely.
From Women's Voices, Sonoma County, CA
In this compelling and innovative novel, Cargill offers her readers the tale of Troy from Helen's vantage point, and, in the process, cleverly manages to weave threads of myth, legend, history and religion in the Vergilian manner. Also reminiscent of Vergil is Helen's development from a Spartan princess, all too human and passionately in love, to a fertility goddess, Inanna, the Earth Mother worshipped by the common people whom she tries to save from destruction in the end. Aeneas does save his people with the aid of his mother, Venus, and an assist from sundry Olympians; he remains, however, only semi-divine, whereas Helen is identified with the Mother Goddess of preclassical times.
Cargill uses myth in ingenious ways, adapting the traditional versions to suit her purposes. The changes gain validity from psychological insights, not only into Helen's character, but also those of Menelaus, Deiphobus and Odysseus. Almost all the characterizations are believable; one might hedge a bit with the author's treatment of Paris, who comes off considerably worse even than he does in the Illiad. The Trojan War itself, to be sure, becomes much more believalbe in Cargill than in conventional accounts; she emphasizes the importance of matriarchal succession as explanation for the abduction of Helen as well as the effort to restore her to the Spartan throne. Whether political or religious, the power rested in Helen, at this time, when according to Cargill, "God was a She."
[. . .] Cargill's novel is eminently readable, and secondary school teachers of Latin, Greek or classical literature should welcome it as a classroom adjunct that could lead to fruitful discussions of sex bias in history, legend and myth, or the respective roles of religion and poltiics in what purports to be a romantic tale. Needless to say, all devotees of The Goddess, whether classicists or not, would find this supportive of current theories. Well worth the reasonable price.
From The Pennsylvania Classical Association Newsletter Helen of Troy, a legendary figure whose name reverberates in the halls of history and continues to stir the imagination of men and women alike, is at the center of Linda Cargill's first novel, To Follow the Goddess. Utilizing her apparent vast knowledge of Greek mythology, Cargill portrays Helen as a powerful sought-after religious leader who is capable of controlling the common people. Helen selects Menelaus among numerous royal suitors to be her husband. Clearly she loves Menelaus, but when her life is in jeopardy she improvises and utilizes her charms, that are plentiful, to survive and solidify her role as goddess of the Earth.
During the time Menelaus is away supporting his brother Agamemnon, the High King of Mycenae, Prince Paris of Troy surreptitiously lands in Sparta, forcing Helen to return to Troy with him
Helen, the ever-practical goddess, marries Paris, whose intentions, now that they are married, is to become ruler of Troy. The real power, however, lies in his twin brother, Deiphobus, a club-footed, scar-faced eunuch-pretender.
A royal dilettante, Paris soon loses interest in Helen. Deiphobus, on the other hand, slowly but surely wins her over and becomes her lover.
Nine years pass before Menelaus, Helen's forlorn first husband, is able to rescue her from her captors. During that time she gave birth to four sons, fathered by the unscrupulous Deiphobus. To complicate matters further, Helen, who is considered the Queen of Innana of Troy, has developed a strong protective instinct for her new subjects, the Trojans.
Cargill cleverly uses her knowledge of Greek tragedies replete with treachery and laden with intrigue to tell her tale. It is ironic but important to remember that Greece, albeit the cradle of democracy, was also at one time a place where slavery was common practice and constant fighting existed between kingdoms. Her detailed and informed description of the bronze-bedecked Greek warriors is fascinating. The overwhelming adoration of their gods and goddesses by the people of that period is presented by Cargill in a believable manner.
The initial pages of her story, however, appear to be somewhat forced. In addition, the lack of transition from plot to plot is off-setting at times. But in general her skillful writing does successfully prevail.
Charlottesville resident Linda Cargill has written a tale that I believe history and mythology buffs will enjoy.
Claude Mar, The Observer Magazine
A superbly produced first title for Cheops Books who have set out to publish only historical fiction pre-1914 dealing direct with the authors (i.e. no agents need apply). The editors produce a set of very useful guidelines for would-be authors to join the list alongside Linda Cargill.
In this novel Linda has woven together strands of mythology, romance and adventure in a vigorous direct style of writing along the lines of a classical tragedy. Characterization is sketched rather than deeply drawn, the central theme being the exploration of the feminine archetype within a community and the fear evoked by its attempts at full expression. Linda Cargill creates a dynamic pace to the action making this a readable and exciting recreation of the Trojan saga.
John Howard-Greaves, The Ammonite
They may not be the Sherman brothers who brought you many a Disney tune, Jeff and Beau Bridges, or even the Lemmon sisters of yore, but Linda Bognar Cargill and her sister Karen Bognar have decided to see what frutis collaboration can bring. Their results have just been published by a new small press, Cheops Books, in the form of a novel, To Follow the Goddess. It tells the story of the Trojan War from the point of view of Helen.
"You don't realize until you do it yourself for the first time," says Linda, "but there are enough jobs in the production of a book to keep a whole factory of people working!" Fortunately, though, the jobs are divided basically between drawing and writing. Karen provided the artwork while Linda did the writing.
"No one knows exactly what Helen looked like," says Karen, "so I had a lot of license in doing a full-length portrait for the front cover. Believe it or not, she was probably a blond." Linda's research turned up information showing that the Mycenaean peoples who lived when Helen did (about 1250 B.C.) were not the modern Greeks of today, who arrived according to most scholars during the Dorian Invasion. The Mycenaeans might well have been light-skinned, fair-haired, and even blue-eyed. Certianly many prominent Greeks and Romans of the classical period were. Alexander the Great was a blond, and Nero had red hair and freckles!
The budget for a first book by a new press wasn't enormous, so Karen had to be inventive. She couldn't hire a model to sketch. She did the next best thing and dressed herself up as Helen! "Now I'm not a bathing beauty, but I'm good at improvising," Karen says. She bought a blond wig, and Alice Bognar, Linda's and Karen's mother, sewed the costume. A friend photographed Karen, and she used the photo as a model.
It was a long way to the publication of a first book for both sisters. After graduation from Carnegie-Mellon University as a fine arts major with a B.F.A., Karen has supported herself in Philadelphia by a series of odd jobs while she painted and sold portraits and still life paintings. Linda attended Bryn Mawr, Duke, and the University of Virginia as an English major. In recent years she has been battling with the New York publishing industry from her home in Charlottesville, Va. to get To Follow the Goddess published. "Every publisher seems to hate the word first novel," Linda says. Even though the book placed in 1986 in the National Writers Contest, no New York house would take a chance on it. Many agents tried to sell it, and many editors loved it - but they could never get the approval of their sales departments. "They spend all their money giving million-dollar advances to best-selling writers," Linda says.
After trying 150 New York literary agents, Linda finally happened upon the small press scene, where much of what is creative in publishing today is taking place. Cheops Books decided to take her on as its first author in a line of historical novels. Now Goddess will be distributed to independent bookstores nationwide by the wholesalers Inland Books.
Linda and Karen are the daughters of Bettis Senior Engineer Larry E. Bognar. Linda won a Westinghouse Scholarship in 1973, and Karen won in the Bettis Art Show.
Bettis Ship's Log
After many centuries, Homer's Iliad remains a monument in world literature. Its dramatic intensity is maintained by the even-present "mo�ra," the Greek concept of fate, a fate that spares no one. Greeks as well as Trojans succumb to its cruel demands. The very few who during the siege of Troy escape it - such as Agamemnon or Odysseus - will embark on a long journey home filled with trials and eventually ending with death.
In her novel, To Follow the Goddess, Cargill gives - while recreating the Iliad's atmosphere - a new dimension to the main characters. Helen, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Deiphobus, Paris, Odysseus, are "seen" by Helen who is the voice of the narrative. Everyone of them is led to his/her implacable destiny by an omnipotent Mother Goddess whose fierce exigencies remind us of the merciless decisions of the gods in Homer's Iliad.
The reader of Cargill's novel becomes ultimately convinced that the wars are futile and atrocious, and that the gods play with men an infamous game. A constant sense of doom prevails and confers an indisputable tragic aura to the tribulations of Helen. Helen, who begins as Queen of Sparta, becomes after her abduction by Paris a Trojan captive to be reinstated in the end as the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta.
The suspense and interest are maintained by the author's delicate analysis of the main characters - particularly of Helen - as well as the many scenes and descriptions supported by the Homeric tradition.
"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." These words written by the Roman poet Virgil, also the prophetic words of the Trojan high priest Laoco�n, fall on dead ears. The Trojans bring inside their walls the horse, and with it the destruction and doom fall on the city of Troy. This most poignant moment in the history of the war gives Cargill an opportunity to present a convincing account of a national tragedy: Trojan warriors are slaughtered by victorious Greeks who unleash their brutality on Trojan women, seen later in an endless flow of captives waiting for an imminent journey to humiliation and slavery.
In conclusion, Cargill's novel has many merits. While respecting the Homeric background of the Iliad, the author makes Homer's work more accessible and perhaps more inviting to the modern reader by making Helen the voice of an epic literary work.
Cargill also succeeds in recreating Helen's character. Helen becomes in the novel the symbol of the eternal woman, the prize of war and the prime victim of wars declared by men since the beginning of time. Her beauty, the epic proportions of her dramatic destiny unceasingly dictated by the Mother Goddess, confer her, a mortal, a greatness that will capture the mind of the reader.
Pierre No�l Fortis, Collages & Bricolages
The book is well-written and the premise is wonderful and original. The only problem I see lies in the title, (although this is not the fault of the author or the published - but rather the book markeet). The title makes the book sound like it should be in the New Age category (and apparently this is how it is being marketed) but that is not accurate. This is quality fiction (bordering on scholarly research) and deserves to be in a more respectable genre than New Age.
This is an ambitious and clearly well-researched novel that does not fit in the New Age category. The cover, title and marketing appraoch does not give this novel the broader appeal I think it deserves.
Publishers Marketing Association
Linda Cargill presents a sympatheric portrait of Helen of Troy, telling the story of the Torjan War form Helen's point of view. She adds a few plot twists to the well-known tale, creating what Kirkus Reviews calls a "spirited page turner" and "a delightful read." This, the author's first novel, placed in the 1986 National Writers Contest.
Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin
"[. . .] has all the tension of a spy thriller."
From The Journal of Regional Criticism
"Though brought up to inherit the role of her mother, Queen Leda, as keeper of the ancient mother-goddess cult increasingly suppressed by the reigning kings, beautiful Helen of Sparta intially fails to hear the Goddess of Heaven's voice within her. And no wonder - the hormone-bedeviled teen-ager lusts after handsome Meneleus, whose family has offended the Goddess by looting her temples for bronze.
"Upon Leda's death, the Goddess offers Helen the choice of marrying Meneleus at the cost of a life of misery and the destruction of Sparta, or sacrificing him in favor of older, craggy faced Odysseus - the "wisest among Achaeans" - with whom Helen would enjoy a long, happy reign as Sparta's queen. Naturally, Helen chooses Meneleus, and thus follow betrayals, misunderstandings, and intrigues that lead to the destruction of Sparta and Troy.
"Kidnapped by Paris, forced to marry him and bear sons by his cleverer brother, Deiphobus, Helen concentrates on protecting the hordes who worship her - whether as the Goddess of Earth in Sparta or as Inanna in Troy. Her efforts to play out the Goddess's maternal role are at cross purposes with the male rulers' ambitions, however - and constant misunderstandings result.
"Herding her subjects out of besieged Sparta, she is accused of abandoning her post. Refusing to abandon her Trojan sons when Meneleus arrives to rescue her, she commits treason. Then, attempting to free the Trojan people from their despotic rulers by allowing the Trojan horse within the city walls, she betrays her Trojan husband.
"Cargill's portrayal of Helen as supporter of the people and clever, if misunderstood, female in a world of men - as opposed to the more familiar fickle housewide - keeps this classic, action-packed tale bubbling until the last huzzah. An auspicious beginning - and a delightful read."
From The Kirkus Reviews
The love of a woman has often brought men to blows, but the power of a woman in the Mother Goddess religion gives men even stronger reasons for wanting her on their side. This adventurous and captivating historical novel about Queen Helen of Sparta gives a view of the Trojan War from a woman's perspective. Author Cargill shows that Helen wasn't valued simply for looks and sex appeal. "I think she must have had something far more important to offer - the ability to give legitimacy to the Spartan King's rule in the eyes of the common people. And the source of this piower was religious." Helen is warned of disaster by the Goddess if she marries Prince Menelaus, but Helen follows her heart and begins the destruction of a civilization. She is abducted by Paris to become a Goddess for the Trojans, and assumes her role as the Goddess Inanna. What follows is a war to win this sought-after woman of power. A tale of the fight for the blessings of a Goddess, the violence of men to acquire what they desire, and the undying love of a woman for her people and for the man who holds her heart. Historical and mythical information combine with the author's imagination and exploration of a woman's soul to make this a very special, unusually compelling story.
From The Book Reader, San Francisco
"What makes this novel outstanding is its characterization. Helen, the protagonist, is creatively drawn and moves logically to a mature, understanding, strong, humanistic woman. Menelaus is a macho of great pride and honesty. Torn between his need for kingly power and his deep, all-encompassing love for an equally strong-minded woman ... Menelaus [is] a believable, viable creation."
Henry Musmano, National Writers Book Contest
Everyone has heard of the Trojan Horse, and Helen of Troy - of how her beauty brought about the fall of a great nation. In Linda Cargill's first novel, we get the story from a woman's point of view - none other than Helen herself.
To Follow the Goddess is historical fiction that reads like a great adventure and a romance novel all in one. The characters are colorful and real, the story live and spellbounding.
Princess Helen of Sparta, keeper of the faith for the ancient religion of the Mother Goddess, must choose a husband to be King before she is crowned Queen of Sparta. Defying the Mother Goddess, she chooses her only love, Menelaus, as husband, and brings about her abduction by Paris, and ultimately, the destruction of Troy.
Author Cargill believes Helen must have possessed more than beauty to bring about such events in history. "I think she must have had something far more important to offer - the ability to give legitimacy to the Spartan King's rule in the eyes of the common people," says Cargill. "And the source of this power was religious."
Helen's constant efforts to serve the Mother Goddess' maternal role on earth, whether as the Goddess on Earth in Sparta or the Inanna in Troy, conflict with the male ruler's ambitions; this is the core and continuity of To Follow the Goddess. It is a most enjoyable way to absorb a little history.
From The Bulletin, Appleton, WI
Here is a perfect example of "Don't judge a book by its cover." If you ignore the horrible cover, this book is a lot of fun. Linda Cargill's first novel, it is the story of the Trojan War told from the point of view of Helen of Troy. I would suggest To Follow the Goddess to readers who already know the characters involved and want to see through Helen's eyes. It could be confusing to read this version without being familiar with the story of Troy, since the motivations of the characters aren't usually made clear. Even with its flaws, by the time I was halfway through, I didn't want to put it down. If what you want is to lose yourself in a piece of light fiction, this will serve nicely.
From Women's Voices, Sonoma County, CA
In this compelling and innovative novel, Cargill offers her readers the tale of Troy from Helen's vantage point, and, in the process, cleverly manages to weave threads of myth, legend, history and religion in the Vergilian manner. Also reminiscent of Vergil is Helen's development from a Spartan princess, all too human and passionately in love, to a fertility goddess, Inanna, the Earth Mother worshipped by the common people whom she tries to save from destruction in the end. Aeneas does save his people with the aid of his mother, Venus, and an assist from sundry Olympians; he remains, however, only semi-divine, whereas Helen is identified with the Mother Goddess of preclassical times.
Cargill uses myth in ingenious ways, adapting the traditional versions to suit her purposes. The changes gain validity from psychological insights, not only into Helen's character, but also those of Menelaus, Deiphobus and Odysseus. Almost all the characterizations are believable; one might hedge a bit with the author's treatment of Paris, who comes off considerably worse even than he does in the Illiad. The Trojan War itself, to be sure, becomes much more believalbe in Cargill than in conventional accounts; she emphasizes the importance of matriarchal succession as explanation for the abduction of Helen as well as the effort to restore her to the Spartan throne. Whether political or religious, the power rested in Helen, at this time, when according to Cargill, "God was a She."
[. . .] Cargill's novel is eminently readable, and secondary school teachers of Latin, Greek or classical literature should welcome it as a classroom adjunct that could lead to fruitful discussions of sex bias in history, legend and myth, or the respective roles of religion and poltiics in what purports to be a romantic tale. Needless to say, all devotees of The Goddess, whether classicists or not, would find this supportive of current theories. Well worth the reasonable price.
From The Pennsylvania Classical Association Newsletter Helen of Troy, a legendary figure whose name reverberates in the halls of history and continues to stir the imagination of men and women alike, is at the center of Linda Cargill's first novel, To Follow the Goddess. Utilizing her apparent vast knowledge of Greek mythology, Cargill portrays Helen as a powerful sought-after religious leader who is capable of controlling the common people. Helen selects Menelaus among numerous royal suitors to be her husband. Clearly she loves Menelaus, but when her life is in jeopardy she improvises and utilizes her charms, that are plentiful, to survive and solidify her role as goddess of the Earth.
During the time Menelaus is away supporting his brother Agamemnon, the High King of Mycenae, Prince Paris of Troy surreptitiously lands in Sparta, forcing Helen to return to Troy with him
Helen, the ever-practical goddess, marries Paris, whose intentions, now that they are married, is to become ruler of Troy. The real power, however, lies in his twin brother, Deiphobus, a club-footed, scar-faced eunuch-pretender.
A royal dilettante, Paris soon loses interest in Helen. Deiphobus, on the other hand, slowly but surely wins her over and becomes her lover.
Nine years pass before Menelaus, Helen's forlorn first husband, is able to rescue her from her captors. During that time she gave birth to four sons, fathered by the unscrupulous Deiphobus. To complicate matters further, Helen, who is considered the Queen of Innana of Troy, has developed a strong protective instinct for her new subjects, the Trojans.
Cargill cleverly uses her knowledge of Greek tragedies replete with treachery and laden with intrigue to tell her tale. It is ironic but important to remember that Greece, albeit the cradle of democracy, was also at one time a place where slavery was common practice and constant fighting existed between kingdoms. Her detailed and informed description of the bronze-bedecked Greek warriors is fascinating. The overwhelming adoration of their gods and goddesses by the people of that period is presented by Cargill in a believable manner.
The initial pages of her story, however, appear to be somewhat forced. In addition, the lack of transition from plot to plot is off-setting at times. But in general her skillful writing does successfully prevail.
Charlottesville resident Linda Cargill has written a tale that I believe history and mythology buffs will enjoy.
Claude Mar, The Observer Magazine
A superbly produced first title for Cheops Books who have set out to publish only historical fiction pre-1914 dealing direct with the authors (i.e. no agents need apply). The editors produce a set of very useful guidelines for would-be authors to join the list alongside Linda Cargill.
In this novel Linda has woven together strands of mythology, romance and adventure in a vigorous direct style of writing along the lines of a classical tragedy. Characterization is sketched rather than deeply drawn, the central theme being the exploration of the feminine archetype within a community and the fear evoked by its attempts at full expression. Linda Cargill creates a dynamic pace to the action making this a readable and exciting recreation of the Trojan saga.
John Howard-Greaves, The Ammonite
They may not be the Sherman brothers who brought you many a Disney tune, Jeff and Beau Bridges, or even the Lemmon sisters of yore, but Linda Bognar Cargill and her sister Karen Bognar have decided to see what frutis collaboration can bring. Their results have just been published by a new small press, Cheops Books, in the form of a novel, To Follow the Goddess. It tells the story of the Trojan War from the point of view of Helen.
"You don't realize until you do it yourself for the first time," says Linda, "but there are enough jobs in the production of a book to keep a whole factory of people working!" Fortunately, though, the jobs are divided basically between drawing and writing. Karen provided the artwork while Linda did the writing.
"No one knows exactly what Helen looked like," says Karen, "so I had a lot of license in doing a full-length portrait for the front cover. Believe it or not, she was probably a blond." Linda's research turned up information showing that the Mycenaean peoples who lived when Helen did (about 1250 B.C.) were not the modern Greeks of today, who arrived according to most scholars during the Dorian Invasion. The Mycenaeans might well have been light-skinned, fair-haired, and even blue-eyed. Certianly many prominent Greeks and Romans of the classical period were. Alexander the Great was a blond, and Nero had red hair and freckles!
The budget for a first book by a new press wasn't enormous, so Karen had to be inventive. She couldn't hire a model to sketch. She did the next best thing and dressed herself up as Helen! "Now I'm not a bathing beauty, but I'm good at improvising," Karen says. She bought a blond wig, and Alice Bognar, Linda's and Karen's mother, sewed the costume. A friend photographed Karen, and she used the photo as a model.
It was a long way to the publication of a first book for both sisters. After graduation from Carnegie-Mellon University as a fine arts major with a B.F.A., Karen has supported herself in Philadelphia by a series of odd jobs while she painted and sold portraits and still life paintings. Linda attended Bryn Mawr, Duke, and the University of Virginia as an English major. In recent years she has been battling with the New York publishing industry from her home in Charlottesville, Va. to get To Follow the Goddess published. "Every publisher seems to hate the word first novel," Linda says. Even though the book placed in 1986 in the National Writers Contest, no New York house would take a chance on it. Many agents tried to sell it, and many editors loved it - but they could never get the approval of their sales departments. "They spend all their money giving million-dollar advances to best-selling writers," Linda says.
After trying 150 New York literary agents, Linda finally happened upon the small press scene, where much of what is creative in publishing today is taking place. Cheops Books decided to take her on as its first author in a line of historical novels. Now Goddess will be distributed to independent bookstores nationwide by the wholesalers Inland Books.
Linda and Karen are the daughters of Bettis Senior Engineer Larry E. Bognar. Linda won a Westinghouse Scholarship in 1973, and Karen won in the Bettis Art Show.
Bettis Ship's Log
After many centuries, Homer's Iliad remains a monument in world literature. Its dramatic intensity is maintained by the even-present "mo�ra," the Greek concept of fate, a fate that spares no one. Greeks as well as Trojans succumb to its cruel demands. The very few who during the siege of Troy escape it - such as Agamemnon or Odysseus - will embark on a long journey home filled with trials and eventually ending with death.
In her novel, To Follow the Goddess, Cargill gives - while recreating the Iliad's atmosphere - a new dimension to the main characters. Helen, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Deiphobus, Paris, Odysseus, are "seen" by Helen who is the voice of the narrative. Everyone of them is led to his/her implacable destiny by an omnipotent Mother Goddess whose fierce exigencies remind us of the merciless decisions of the gods in Homer's Iliad.
The reader of Cargill's novel becomes ultimately convinced that the wars are futile and atrocious, and that the gods play with men an infamous game. A constant sense of doom prevails and confers an indisputable tragic aura to the tribulations of Helen. Helen, who begins as Queen of Sparta, becomes after her abduction by Paris a Trojan captive to be reinstated in the end as the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta.
The suspense and interest are maintained by the author's delicate analysis of the main characters - particularly of Helen - as well as the many scenes and descriptions supported by the Homeric tradition.
"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." These words written by the Roman poet Virgil, also the prophetic words of the Trojan high priest Laoco�n, fall on dead ears. The Trojans bring inside their walls the horse, and with it the destruction and doom fall on the city of Troy. This most poignant moment in the history of the war gives Cargill an opportunity to present a convincing account of a national tragedy: Trojan warriors are slaughtered by victorious Greeks who unleash their brutality on Trojan women, seen later in an endless flow of captives waiting for an imminent journey to humiliation and slavery.
In conclusion, Cargill's novel has many merits. While respecting the Homeric background of the Iliad, the author makes Homer's work more accessible and perhaps more inviting to the modern reader by making Helen the voice of an epic literary work.
Cargill also succeeds in recreating Helen's character. Helen becomes in the novel the symbol of the eternal woman, the prize of war and the prime victim of wars declared by men since the beginning of time. Her beauty, the epic proportions of her dramatic destiny unceasingly dictated by the Mother Goddess, confer her, a mortal, a greatness that will capture the mind of the reader.
Pierre No�l Fortis, Collages & Bricolages
The book is well-written and the premise is wonderful and original. The only problem I see lies in the title, (although this is not the fault of the author or the published - but rather the book markeet). The title makes the book sound like it should be in the New Age category (and apparently this is how it is being marketed) but that is not accurate. This is quality fiction (bordering on scholarly research) and deserves to be in a more respectable genre than New Age.
This is an ambitious and clearly well-researched novel that does not fit in the New Age category. The cover, title and marketing appraoch does not give this novel the broader appeal I think it deserves.
Publishers Marketing Association
Linda Cargill presents a sympatheric portrait of Helen of Troy, telling the story of the Torjan War form Helen's point of view. She adds a few plot twists to the well-known tale, creating what Kirkus Reviews calls a "spirited page turner" and "a delightful read." This, the author's first novel, placed in the 1986 National Writers Contest.
Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin
"[. . .] has all the tension of a spy thriller."
From The Journal of Regional Criticism
