(By CAMILLE CLEMENT)
Released by Roy Casagranda in September of 2018, “The Blood Throne of Caria” is a feminist-driven historical fiction focused on the life and growth of a Carian princess, Artemisia.
Inspired by the lack of teachings on powerful female leaders in history, Casagranda says he wants to give these women a voice and the presence in history they deserve.
During a Dec. 6 book signing at BookPeople in Austin, Casagranda chose an excerpt from the novel giving the audience insight into the intensity of the novel and strength of the protagonist princess. In this excerpt, Princess Artemisia is tasked with assisting the queen’s surgeon in the removal of one of her breasts diseased with cancer.
In detail, Casagranda encapsulated what a scene like this might have actually looked like at this time in history. He said that during his research he discovered that surgery for breast cancer was performed throughout this era around 500 B.C.
In the prologue to the novel, Casagranda wrote, “I learned the names of 40 ancient women rulers and philosophers. I had never heard of any of them. I have always thought of myself as historically literate, but in that moment, I was humbled.”
Casagranda attracted a crowd of roughly 150 people to the book signing despite the cold and rainy weather. Among those in the crowd were some of Casagranda’s students from The Austin School wearing handmade t-shirts reading “Skilled Labor Isn’t Cheap!”
Founded by Casagranda, The Austin School is a Texas-based non-profit bringing academic discourse to the public.
Casagranda ended his Q&A session with a statement supporting unions.
“BookPeople is more than just a bookstore. It is a critical part of our community. It doesn’t just provide a place for people to buy books, it pushes back against the industry-crushing monopolistic tendencies of the big corporations,” Casagranda said. “And now you can come to BookPeople and shop here knowing that its employees are well treated. BookPeople has added another level of coolness — its employees have unionized. You can shop here knowing that BookPeople’s labor is organized and has a voice.”
While Casagranda has not confirmed it, readers and followers continue to buzz about the foreshadowing of a sequel to “The Blood Throne of Caria.”
A professor of government at Austin Community College, Casagranda has a Ph.D. in Germanic studies and is an expert on Middle Eastern affairs.
