Honored by Man

Book excerpt: Honored By Man is an historical novel about the Trojan War. Epic in its scope, it utilizes the Greek and Trojan characters from Homer's Iliad and the Gods who pulled their strings. Throughout history fragments of this tale have formed the cornerstone of drama and literature. Each piece engrossing enough to stand alone, mortared together they become majestic. Honored By Man utilizes all the known history, myth and poetry surrounding the Trojan War and tells the story from the Divine curses setting it in motion to the disgruntled homecomings of the few left alive. It is told from three vantagepoints: Greece, Troy, and Olympus. The cast of characters is an enormous gathering of heroes and heroines with the Gods larger than life. On the Greek side, Helen, with her sisters Timandra and Clytaemenstra, dominate the women; Achilles, Patrolcus, Odysseus, and Agamenmon lead the men. The Trojans are equally strong. The Queen Hecuba, her many daughters and Andromache are the main ladies while the suave Paris, noble Hector, smooth Deiphobus and steady Helenus are the leading men. The Gods play equally with the lives of everyone. The novel begins in Sparta with all the Kings of Greece gathered to try for Helen's hand. The future heroes on the Greek side are introduced as well as the heroines. The action quickens with Paris' introduction and subsequent abduction of Helen. With the scene switching back and forth from the Greek encampment to behind the Trojan fortress, ten long years of war follow culminating in the bloody sack of the city, and the few survivors heading homeward. Everyone knows the story; few know its entirety. Honored By Man breaths life and depth into the illustrious characters of Homer and weaves the threads of myth, poetry and history into a tapestry savored by all readers.