by kc dyer
After a minute, I pause for breath. “What did it say?”
I catch a glimpse of his grin in the moonlight. “You need to quit distracting me,” he says and then hands me the phone.
Squinting a little at the brightness, I read the screen. “A biopic? For Netflix?”
“That’s what they’re saying. Someone told me you can get anything on Netflix these days, so with your dad’s blessing, I pitched them a re-creation of this trip. Apparently the discovery of the clay tablet—right where your dad predicted it would be—sealed the deal.”
I think about reminding him that that particular location was pinpointed by my father’s long-dead ancestors and then decide to let sleeping Greeks lie.
Instead, I settle on, “That’s amazing!”
He laughs incredulously. “Looks like I have an appointment next week at their New York office. Hmm—if only I knew someone willing to show me around the city . . .”
I laugh and throw my arms around his neck to kiss him. Which is when we both realize my dress is still muddled in an untidy pile on the sand.
Half an hour or so later, I manage to get my dress back on for real, bows fully retied and everything. After we shake all the sand out of the striped blanket, we meander back along the beach, aiming ourselves at the single twinkling light that marks the entrance to the guesthouse.
I pause for a minute to gaze up at the stars shining down on the land of my father. A land that feels more like my own after all that’s happened. And now that he’s here forever.
Raj’s hand is warm in mine as we start up the sandy path to the guesthouse. This might be the last night of my accidental odyssey, but I know I’ll be back soon.
First, though? I’ve got a New York foodie tour to organize.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I write these words of thanks after what has been a tough and terrible year for our small planet; a time that is not yet done, I’m sure. While writing is a solitary occupation under the best of circumstances, the distance that we have been forced to keep between us means that writing An Accidental Odyssey has not been business as usual. Technology has been a lifeline for me this year—my only connection with most of my friends, family, and colleagues.
I am so lucky to belong to a close and warm collection of writers and artists, friends from whom I drew support regardless of the distance that separates us. Much love to my friends Kathy Chung and Pamela Patchet for their unwavering support, and to Lee Födi, Marcie Nestman, James McCann, Laura Bradbury, Mahtab Narsimhan, Tyner Gillies, and my whole SiWC family for always being there.
For their generosity in sharing information, experiences, and nuances of language, I’d like to thank Christiane Kypreos, Marina Atunes, and from the Litforum, Karen Henry, Maria Pecora, Elle Druskin, and Kelly Claytor.
My endless appreciation goes out to the amazing team at Berkley: Cindy Hwang, Angela Kim, Will Tyler, Stacy Edwards, Jessica Mangicaro, Brittanie Black, and to Vi-An Nguyen for her gorgeous, funny covers.
My deepest gratitude goes out to my brilliant, patient, and kind agents—Laura Bradford and Taryn Fagerness—for helping my peripatetic stories find readers all over the world; especially heroic considering the epic projects they each accomplished this year. Thanks also to my new assistant, Christine Sandquist, for helping organize my scattered mind, and to Mary Robinette Kowal for introducing us.
I had last read The Odyssey back in the dark history of time when I was in high school. Thus, when I decided to write this story, it was a complete joy to discover Emily Wilson’s 2018 translation. If you are in the mood for a little Homerian fancy, I cannot praise this edition highly enough, from her lyrical style to her renunciation of the trite conventions and careless misogyny that litter the earlier translations. I can also highly recommend the audio version, brilliantly presented by the talented Claire Danes. Having this resource near to hand made my cheeky, gender-swapping romp through Odysseus’s travels—along wine-dark seas—all the more fun to write.
As always, much love goes out to Peter and Alicia, with deep appreciation for their tolerance of the eccentric writer in the family. Love, too, to Meaghan and Jürgen, with both thanks for the archeological tips and apologies for any details I got wrong. Thanks also to my sister, Lisa Dempster, for editorial advice always offered kindly, and from a safe distance. I should note that Taki’s Herman owes his very existence to my friend Norma Rodger’s boy Barney, and also to Topaz, whose huge personality shines out through Herman’s eyes.
These stories of travel and adventure were first born with Emma’s search for her one true love—a character from a book, of course—in Finding Fraser, so I need also thank the two writers—and friends—who have most inspired my writing before Emma and since: Jack Whyte and Diana Gabaldon. In this year where so many have lost so much, we had to say goodbye to our Jack, and I miss him terribly. Jack was a man who loved a good story, and he loved to laugh, so really his inspiration lives on—I’ve done my best to try to create both here in these pages.
As always, for all the help and support from brilliant writers and industry folks along the way, every mistake you find herein is mine alone.
Finally, thank you, dear reader, for sharing these journeys with me.
Now—where shall we go next?
READERS GUIDE
An Accidental Odyssey
kc dyer
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. As the story opens in An Accidental Odyssey, Gianna Kostas leaves New York with the idea of chasing her dad down and then quickly returning home. Have you ever traveled to any Mediterranean countries? Which of Gia’s destinations would you most like to visit?
2. What are the questions Gia wrestles with when it comes to weighing her options between planning her wedding, finding a job she loves, and dealing with her exasperating father? Would you have made the same choices she did?
3. Gia’s internship as a food writer for NOSH has been her dream job. Have you ever wanted to write for a living? If not, what is your dream job?
4. When Anthony calls Gia after their big fight, he denies that he broke things off with her and then says he is sorry if she mistook his intentions. How is this problematic? What other hints do you see of an imbalance in Gia and Anthony’s relationship?
5. In this story, Gia enjoys writing about food, and she becomes very good at it. How does her love of food and culinary writing help shape her sense of self as her journey progresses? Did any of her suggested recipes strike your fancy?
6. Gia’s friendship with Devi is so long-standing and rock-solid, they are almost like sisters. Do you think Devi did a good job of communicating her conflicting feelings about Anthony? What would you do if your dearest friend had a relationship with someone of whom you disapproved?
7. In spite of their fiery initial attraction, why do you think Raj tries to keep his relationship with Gia professional? Have you ever found yourself in an awkward situation with a work colleague? Should there be hard-and-fast rules for work relationships? And if you were in Raj’s shoes—or in Gia’s—what would you have done differently?
8. An Accidental Odyssey is a story about love in just a few of its many forms—love of friends and family, romantic love, but also a passion for discovery and even for work. As a journalist, a classical historian, and an archeologist, Gia, Ari, and Raj each love the job they do. How do the professions of each character define the choices they make when it comes to both work and family? Do you agree with these choices?
9. While paddling off the coast of Capri, Gia is mesmerized by the sights and sounds of a collection of buff surfer dudes, and nearly crashes her sea kayak into some treacherous rocks. Aside from these gender-swapped sirens, did you recognize any other echoes of Homer’s Odyssey in Gia’s adventures as she chases her father around the Mediterranean?
10. How does Anthony’s surprise arrival in Italy epitomize his vision o
f himself as the ideal hero for Gia? What signs do you see throughout the story that this relationship is not as perfect as it looks from the outside?
11. After all their ups and downs, why do you think Gia was so driven to complete Ari’s quest? What were the unexpected outcomes of Gia’s accidental odyssey? If you had a chance to take a journey like this one—would you?
Photo by Martin Chung
kc dyer loves travel and has literally flown around the world in search of fantastic stories. When not on the road, she resides in the wilds of British Columbia, where she walks her dogs in the woods and writes books. kc is the author of Eighty Days to Elsewhere, the madcap story of a young woman so desperate to save her family’s bookstore that she undertakes a race around the world, but ends up falling for her competition. Her most recent novel in the ExLibris series is An Accidental Odyssey. kc is also the author of Finding Fraser, an international bestseller in romantic comedy. You can read more about kc and her books online at kcdyer.com.
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