Hera

BY JENNIFER SAINT

Major content warning - the main focus of this book is SA.

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… I’m on page 79, and I can’t keep reading this book. I was so excited about it, and I waited for months, ordering the more expensive signed copy from my favorite author to be shipped from England.

Now, I’m not trying to slander the book or author whatsoever. Other readers might find this story riveting!

But for those of us with PTSD from SA, all I can say is, STEER CLEAR.

I’m only a few pages in, and I loved how it started. It began with an entirely new part of Greek myth that, in my experience, hadn’t really been explored before. Saint dived in after the Titanomachy when the Olympians won and took the rule of the world from the Titans. It then covers how they divided parts of the world and dedicated them to individual gods. It even delved into fascinating talks with Hera and Gaia in her human form. Hera was angry; she had an equal stake in the heavens and was furious that the men had all the power (understandable).

But then it goes into how Hera didn’t want to be Zeus’ wife; she wanted to rule the heavens, and she was owed the heavens. I was like, yes, here we go! The revenge of Hera! Get what you’re owed, girl!

Instead, she hid in the halls of Oceanus. When she finally stepped outside … Zeus SA’d her. Now, this is approximately the third/fourth SA that is described in detail. Let me remind you I only made it to page 79. We had been building Hera’s personality, history, thoughts, feelings, and wants all this time. It was exhilarating up until then. The second this scene happens, Hera’s spirit dies. I think the author was trying to convey what it’s like after that kind of trauma, which is accurate, but it’s what she does after that bothers me.

Hera spent so much time avoiding Zeus, refusing to marry him, and wanting to be free, have her own life, and have a stake in the world. But the story skips from the assault to Hera marrying Zeus. Then, it argues that she finally found her “purpose,” which is to stand by his side and do everything she could to destroy him.

I just…

What?

What happened to Hera as a person? Her identity, personality, goals, thoughts, etc.? It’s like the author stripped this incredibly complex goddess of her personality, which is so fascinating in Greek myth, and dismissed her as yet another casualty of Zeus. She was no longer a person. She was a shadow of Zeus. Her entire personality revolved around him. Why not talk about all other myths about Hera that don’t include SA, like the Judgment of Paris, her involvement in the Trojan War, and her relationships with her specific animals? Why focus only on that event?

My thought about this, as a person with diagnosed PTSD from SA, is that the author was trying to convey what SA does to a person, the shell of yourself you become. I think they did that well. But that doesn’t diminish the person itself. Sure, everyone has their own experiences with that kind of trauma, and this is just my opinion; it’s not the same for everyone. But to shift the narrative so that Hera is ONLY Hera because Zeus assaulted her ……….

Her entire personality becomes that she was SA’d……

THAT I’m afraid I have to disagree with.

I think it did Hera dirty! She’s so much more than that in Greek myth!

I also think it’s a wild leap to take in the world we live in, where more women than not, unfortunately, have experienced SA. Why would you feel the need to remind them/us? Why would you need to describe it in such detail when all other Greek adaptation books mention it so fleetingly that it doesn’t hold the power to trigger the reader? It’s a crazy risk, in my opinion. It adds nothing to the storyline … it’s as if the author wanted to make a huge, bold statement about women and SA and power and, in a way, tried to be inspiring, but in my opinion, it’s the opposite. This kind of narrative could be harmful to someone less healed. It emphasizes the negative (and incorrect) narrative that once you have been SA’d, that’s it. That’s all you are. You will forever be that moment. And I hate that, frankly. I think it’s an uneducated take on trauma. Ugh. I’ll never understand how this has passed rounds of editing! I’m trying to hold back my frustration because I ADORE Jennifer Saint, but this isn’t it.

Again, I only made it to page 79 but struggled to continue reading after the first vivid SA scene early on. The story may go in a more positive direction. Perhaps the SA is only a fraction of Hera’s story! I contacted the author to ask whether there would be more SA mentions throughout the book to see if I could continue safely without being on edge. Jennifer Saint responded honestly and said I would not be safe reading the rest of the book. I really appreciate her honesty and understanding.

It is what it is. I felt disappointed and teared up because my excitement for this book was intense. That’s life, though, hey. Some things don’t work out how you think they will, and that’s okay!

I hope I can finish this book one day. Until then, I’m turning to something safer.