Aphrodite’s Trees: A Greek Myth Retelling

“A gripping retelling of the Greek myth with a feminist take which brings the tale to life. It skilfully weaves the stories of the gods with the lives of mortals. The reader wants to follow the journey of Baukis and is gripped by her story.” “Sweeping novel on an epic scale.” “I didn’t study the classics at high school, so I wasn’t familiar with the lesser known gods, but I had no difficulty following the story. Wonderful tale that encourages you to read on to know the outcome!” “What particularly struck me was how you were able to incorporate daily life in Athens in 400 BC, the steps in democracy and the proximity of the gods into a beautiful and exciting novel. I especially enjoyed the interactions of the gods with the mortals, the protection they gave them and their rivalry. It was good to be immersed in Greek mythology again in a pleasant and entertaining way! And even Xenophon came into his own! If only we had you as a Greek teacher in my youth!” If Baukis had known how much the simple fact of her existence divided the world of the gods, she would not have been so content and at ease in her wicker cradle, her blue eyes radiating confidence. But she was not yet aware of the cunning plans she had innocently set in motion on the day of her birth… When the Athenian aristocrat Peteos unwittingly upsets supreme goddess Hera, her revenge is as ingenious as ruthless. The worlds of gods and men collide in this sweeping historical fantasy novel, set in ancient Athens and Sparta. Meet Perikles and Sokrates, Artemis and Aphrodite, Philemon and Baukis, and embark for an epic adventure in antiquity. The author started writing this book when she was sixteen years old, and she based it on her favourite myth, “Philemon and Baukis”. It took her only a few decades and a pandemic to complete it. She feels really lucky that in the mean time, so many people developed an interest for the unique worldview of the ancient Greeks, and share her lifelong fascination. Inge Scheynen is a historian and as a published author, she has won two readers-awards. “Aphrodite’s Trees” is her first myth retelling, and she’s currently working on the second: “Kore, Queen of Souls”. As @missesmyths, she posts about her writing journey, and her exciting odyssey through Greek mythology, on Instagram and TikTok.