Behind the book: My summer with Hades
"Rachel has planted ancient seeds in fresh ground." How Rachel Lyon and Scribner reimagined the myth of Persephone and Demeter in FRUIT OF THE DEAD.
For writers of fiction, it’s difficult to successfully re-imagine ancient myths in a present-day setting. Sometimes the old stories lose their teeth when transposed to 21st-century high schools or board rooms, not to mention the loss of suspense when every character and plot point is mirrored one-for-one, without much imagination.
But Rachel Lyon’s new novel, Fruit of the Dead, is a fantastic of example of a retelling gone right — a propulsive and sensual literary mystery that brings a Homeric eye to our era. It’s inspired by the myth of Persephone, a Greek goddess abducted by Hades, and her mother Demeter, who journeys to the underworld to bring her back.
In Lyon’s telling, an 18-year-old summer camp counselor, Cory Ansel, is invited to the private island of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical CEO, Rolo Picazo, for a new job in childcare, while Cory’s mother, Emer, quickly senses something is wrong.
Rachel Lyon grew up in Brooklyn, but currently lives in Western Massachuesetts with her husband and two children. I spoke with Rachel, her editor Kara Watson, and her cover designer Math Monahan about bringing Fruit of the Dead to life.
Rachel Lyon, author
When and how did Fruit of the Dead begin for you?
I started the book the summer before the publication of my debut novel, Self-Portrait with Boy. I was feeling anxious about publication, and was advised by other authors to funnel my creative energy into something new. Now, of course, I am having all kinds of prepublication anxiety about Fruit, so I am dutifully trying to work on a third novel. The cycle continues!
What was your research process like?
Eclectic and peripatetic. To stay tethered to the myth, I returned often to what's probably thought of as the standard translation of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, which was published in 1914. For the material about Rolo Picazo — the novel's antagonist, and proxy for Hades — I paid a lot of attention to certain disturbing contemporary stories of the time: the exposure of various powerful men accused of sexual assault and worse, particularly Jeffrey Epstein; and the compromised fall of the Sackler family — whose legacy of death and greed itself feels, to me, every bit as epic and ethically complex as a Greek tragedy.
What was the hardest thing about writing it?
I wrote this novel during a period of change in my own life so profound that I'd almost say I was one person when I composed its first paragraph, and another person entirely when I finished the book. In retrospect I think that transformation informed the book in some really important ways — for instance, I became a mother, and thus gained the experience to write believably from a mother's perspective: to inhabit, on the page, all Emer's ambivalence, exhaustion, dysfunction, confusion, and even rage. That said, the writing process did feel, at times, disorienting. At times, it felt excruciating.
Kara Watson, executive editor at Scribner
What drew you to Fruit of the Dead and to Rachel's work in general?
I had the privilege of editing Rachel's debut novel, Self-Portrait with Boy, but was wowed by the ambition, skill, and emotional power on display in Fruit of the Dead. Rachel's characters come alive on the page, her prose dazzles, and her plots utterly seduce the reader.
What made it a great fit for Scribner?
Like many of our favorite novels, Fruit of the Dead is both literary and propulsive, appeals to a wide range of readers, feels both inventive and classical, and sparks conversation. Rachel has planted ancient seeds in fresh ground.
How did (or didn't!) the manuscript evolve during the editing process?
The manuscript was incredibly polished, we just did some work on balancing the structure, introducing the mother's voice sooner, and slowing down the action in that devastatingly brilliant final scene.
Math Monahan, associate art director at Scribner
Could you share some alternate cover designs and tell me why they weren't the right fit?
These are some of my favorite outtakes, but they leaned a little too much into the myth and did not feel contemporary enough. This story takes place in the present and we needed something that aligned with that.
What did you want the cover to convey about the novel?
The novel is a modern reimagining of the myth of Persephone and Demeter. Naturally, I wanted to convey that context but I also wanted it to feel contemporary enough for those coming to the book without any knowledge of the myth.
Why was the final cover design the best choice?
The final design has an iconic/singular focus; immediately recognizable. It represents the myth through the use of the sculpture, while remaining contemporary and expressing an atmosphere of danger and the idea of Cory (Persephone) being held captive in a world she is not familiar with. Bonus: it gives a slight hint/nod to Valley of the Dolls!
Forthcoming in The Frontlist
Behind the book with Nathan Ballingrud (The Strange) and Crystal Hana Kim (The Stone Home)
April book preview