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Something I’ll Never Forget
The Prodigal Daughter follows a husband and wife who navigate the labyrinth of a society that doesn’t tolerate dissent in order to escape. What were some ideas that you wanted to explore in this book that were different from book one?
The Governor’s Daughter mainly focused on Emma and Declan’s relationship, and how two people from very different walks of life can fall in love despite potential grave consequences. I wanted to expand on that theme, and The Prodigal Daughter gave me a great opportunity to delve into how the fall of American Democracy affected more than those in the Premier City. We already saw in the first novel how women became the property of men, and minorities were forced to live outside the city walls in a constant state of semi-starvation and extreme poverty. Now we get to see how a city that refused to kowtow to the Committee was punished, and how the deadly rebel group, known as the BSB, came to be.
In this novel, I was able to get into the minds of characters of different races, sexual orientation, and beliefs. I also delve deep into the ideology of morality, especially when it involves doing one’s duty in their specific careers. Ranging from soldiers to a minister, we see how they balance their moral conscience during a time of war. I wanted to explore the idea of what is morally right or wrong during times of war and oppression.
What scene in the book was the most emotionally impactful for you to write?
I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but we lose some major characters in this novel. One scene in particular, when Declan euthanizes a dear friend who is beyond his ability to save, really got to me. The passage where he remembers a discussion about euthanasia with a veterinarian friend was a conversation I actually had when I was a veterinary technician with my boss. It was a major eye-opening moment when he called euthanasia “the final treatment option” because it’s the last medical treatment in their arsenol to treat pain and suffering. It’s something I’ll never forget.
What were some challenges you set for yourself as a writer with this book?
Overall, it was a tough novel to write, as there were a lot of questions that needed answering, and of course, I had to raise a bunch more for you to ponder over before book three comes out! I wanted this novel to be inclusive, to show how people can band together and fight for what’s right, and that all the things people let divide us really don’t matter. I wanted every reader to be able to see themselves in at least one of our heroes, and to hopefully get involved in a way that can hopefully prevent this saga from coming true. As bleak as much of the tale is, I wanted this part of the tale to end on a more hopeful note while still holding on to the gravity of the topics. I want people to understand there’s still time to get involved, and most importantly, to vote.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My Mother’s Daughter will be the third book in the Daughters of the New American Revolution series, and if the stars align, will be released next summer. This one is a particularly difficult novel to write, and I will give a lot of backstory about how women were a major part of the creation of this new government. We get to know Emma’s mother, the pitiable Louise, and of course her grandmother, the formidable Mother Barbara. The story continues with Emma and Declan and the BSB on the run, and by the end of the novel, I promise you will finally get to meet the infamous Trinity. It’s going to be a true whirlwind, so hang onto your hats!
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a grief-stricken “girl” incapable of concocting a plan.
Oh, how wrong they were.
Years of enduring their abuse have made Emma stronger, smarter, and more sure of herself. With a sharp mind and quick wit, she managed to get herself out of situations in the past that seemed impossible.
With the eyes of the nation on her and the consequences for her actions greater than ever, can Emma find a way to save herself again?
After sacrificing herself to save her brother and husband, Emma finds herself surrounded by bloodthirsty bounty hunters eager to claim their reward. Knowing her crimes are more than enough to get her executed, she has but one chance at freedom before being returned to the Premier City and her furious father, the newly-promoted Interim Supreme Archon.
While Emma fights for her life, her husband, Declan, is dying. Knowing Declan doesn’t have long to live, his loyal friend, Adam, takes him to the one place with people who can save him, but doing so is practically suicide. The ruined city “that no longer has a name” may have been walled in and destroyed, but an active patrol, ready to kill on sight, combs the rubble for the remaining elusive members of the resistance group known only as the BSB.The members of the resistance are not the only ones whose lives hang precariously, as those in the Premier City are also on edge. Edward James Bellamy has no intention of giving back the throne should Ryan Gregory recover from injuries incurred the night the National theater collapsed.
At first, everyone in the nation believes Bellamy to be a safer, saner choice, but then, he sets into motion a series of events that will make him the most feared leader yet. With the threat of an upcoming rebellion knocking on his door, Bellamy’s determination to stay on the throne will leave everyone in the nation in grave danger, but none so much as his prodigal daughter.
The Prodigal Daughter
The Prodigal Daughter by Maria Ereni Dampman is a tale of escape and bravery in a dystopian America. Emma and Declan plan an escape, though their attempts to flee the country get complicated when separated. Emma, and her husband, Declan, are expecting their first child and understand the importance of their unborn child. However, once they are separated, their fate becomes uncertain. Emma is recaptured, and the Purity Patrol is seized and confined.
As Emma and Declan’s future together becomes uncertain, the author takes the reader through the labyrinth of a society that doesn’t tolerate dissent. The reader is taken through the underground bunker where Declan is held and how Emma must face a life that’s not in her hands, nor can she determine how to support her child. The Prodigal Daughter is a sequel to Maria Ereni Dampman’s The Governor’s Daughter.
This story uniquely portrays an alternative world, a dystopia where society has regressed so far that the reality of racial and gender equality has vanished completely. Yet, it’s a glimpse into a world that could become a reality if precautions are not taken sooner. This exciting cautionary tale delves into the intense nature of this world and how each character must either navigate this challenging society with limited prospects or try to escape. It’s an engaging read, with lots of action and personal dilemmas that clash with the dystopian rule.
The Prodigal, Daughter by Maria Ereni Dampman is an exciting and suspenseful political dystopian novel. It’s the triumphant tale of people who are deemed “lower class,” though they find a glimmer of hope in a dark world despite their challenges in facing discrimination. It’s an excellent read for anyone who enjoys futuristic and dystopian themes with a thought-provoking plotline.
Pages: 472 | ASIN: B0B54472HQ
Speaking One’s Truth
Emma is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Emma is the epitome of the saying “Women are like tea bags – you have no idea how strong they are until you put them in hot water.” In the early pages of the novel, Emma is literally dying under the exorbitant suppression of her spirit. At times she believes death to be better than living the future that has been planned out for her. Her rebellious nature and need for freedom she’s been taught are both sinful and unlawful, and she honestly believes something is wrong with her because she cannot submit and simply do what she’s told.
Emma has a lot to lose in this new America if she continues to rebel, with many of her actions putting at risk of execution if she’s caught. Yet her desire for truth, freedom and autonomy outweighs her fears. When she realizes the lies she and the rest of the nation are being told by her father, the government and the new national church, it only spurs her on to determine the truth for herself. Although terrified, she persists in her search for knowledge, and that knowledge forces her to act.
The novel is also a cautionary tale that warns of what will happen if our increasingly divisive culture carries on this ill-fated path. In recent years, our population has become more and more split on financial, ideological and political ideologies. Discourse is becoming more and more intolerant between different groups, with a frightening increase in the “-isms” that only serve to push us further apart. We are rapidly becoming a nation of hate and suspicion, two mindsets that will only lead to the unraveling of our nation. If we want to prevent our nation from becoming what’s written in The Governor’s Daughter, now is the time for us to draw together before it’s too late.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The biggest theme of this novel is the importance of voice and speaking one’s truth. I wrote this novel after watching the Kavanaugh Senate confirmation hearings, and in particular, the testimony of Dr. Ford. For many women, watching her come forward only to have her testimony thoroughly disregarded was an enraging ordeal. Especially for women who have also suffered sexual assault, the injustice of his appointment was devastating. Like Dr. Ford, when I was much younger, I suffered greatly after a sexual assault. When I came forward, I was talked out of pressing charges being told no one would believe me. I was so frightened of things becoming worse that I let them silence me. I will forever regret not coming forward when I found out later how the man who assaulted me went on to victimize other women.
When watching the hearings, I was angry that women all over the world were still getting the same ridiculous message I was told nearly 30 years ago. I worried about the young women watching this who might be thinking what’s the point of coming forward if someone as credible as Dr. Ford’s testimony means nothing? If I’m ever assaulted, who is going to believe me if no one believes her? I felt like in one afternoon, all of the gains made in the #metoo movement were flushed down the toilet.
So, when I began writing, I wanted to write a story where the actions of one woman, even one as initially powerless and broken as Emma, manages to not only pull herself together, but comes to truly believe her voice is important. Her actions are important. The desires she has and what she wants out of life are important because she is important. This theme is pervasive in the upcoming novels as well, where characters from all sorts of backgrounds use their words and actions to make a positive change in their world.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The Prodigal Daughter is the second novel in the four-book Daughters of the New American Revolution series. It picks up right where The Governor’s Daughter left off and continues Emma’s thrilling story. It is scheduled to be released in December 2021.
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Nineteen year-old Emma Bellamy is not a “good girl.”
She’s sick of the men who treat her like property, the endless Purity Protocols to which she must conform, and the brutal consequences when she inevitably fails. With a recalcitrant mind and headstrong nature, Emma continually questions the policies of the White Nationalist government, the suffocating patriarchy of a corrupt Universal Church and her uber-powerful father, the revered Governor. When she determines that everything she’s been taught to believe is based on lies, Emma disobeys in the most ruinous way yet – she sets out to find the truth for herself.
And she doesn’t give a damn if that makes her a “bad girl.”
In a clandestine journey beyond the razor-wire topped walls of the Premier City, Emma is faced with the reality of what ninety-eight percent of the population faces. Extreme poverty. Disease. Unchecked police violence. Civil war in the 20s leveled cities and killed millions, leaving the masses broken, dispirited and unable to ever again threaten the Committee’s reign. In her travels, Emma finds a few brave souls who dare to resist, risking everything to live their lives by their own rules. Now she must choose. Does she doom herself to an unfulfilled but privileged life? Or does she risk everything for a chance at a future filled with purpose, passion and freedom?
The Governor’s Daughter
![The Governor's Daughter by [Maria Ereni Dampman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/410QLE57Y2S.jpg)
The Governor’s Daughter follows nineteen year-old Emma Bellamy who is guarded and suspicious of others in a brutal dystopian future where she’s treated like little more than property. Emma uncovers the dark truth about her strict society and abandons her privileged life to set our on a perilous journey beyond the walls of the Premier City to seek the truth. But what she finds will challenge her in ways she hadn’t even imagined.
Emma’s character develops dramatically throughout the story as she transforms from a naïve young lady to a woman with huge inner strength. Her dialogue, inner monologues and actions all portray her as a strong young woman who is battling against the system she finds herself in. As she grows and matures, she finds herself to be growing stronger both physically and emotionally. Ryan, her fiancé, is an entitled, and cruel young man, determined to use his power in this corrupt society to its full extent.
Declan, a young physiotherapist, is handsome, clever and darkly sullen. Trapped within the rigid rules of society he is a ‘marked man’ and bears this mark both physically and psychologically. Supporting these main characters are a small group of minor but still alluring characters, that weave in and out of the story. These are characters that both support the government and characters that are secretly fighting the government. All of these characters help to make the story authentic and believable.
While the novel explores some heavy topics the novel has a clear and easy structure to follow. Most of the chapters are all entitled with the name of whoever is narrating that chapter. The narrations give a clear picture of the rules of this disturbing dystopian world, from the points of views of both the oppressed and the oppressor. There are many twists and turns along the way which holds the reader’s interest and keeps them guessing until the end of the story.
The story is set in the future; in 2045 America. The setting is vastly different to the U.S. of today, with physical walls dividing citizens and keeping them apart. There is some description of the architecture, from the palatial mansion like homes Emma resides in, to the squalor others live in. This dichotomy between the haves and have-nots and the physical and moral differences between the two reminds me of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, but made for a young adult audience.
The Governor’s Daughter is a riveting dystopian novel with subtle by deep commentary on society. Readers will enjoy following the vivacious protagonist and exploring the vivid dystopian future author Maria Ereni Dampman has created.
Pages: 488 | ASIN: B097CKSNYK
LITERARY TITAN 