Justa

by Susanna Deiss, Joseph Jay Deiss (With)

HISTORICAL NOVELS The backdrop of Joseph Jay Deiss and Susanna Deiss’ delightful historical novel Justa may be familiar to most the city of Herculaneum, doomed to be buried under molten lava at the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. Excavations are ongoing in a small fraction of what was once a sprawling, bustling city, and like similar works at Pompeii, those excavations have yielded tantalizing clues about the lives of the ordinary people who were trapped and killed there two thousand years ago. One such story involves a young woman named Justa whose mother was a freed slave of some wealth, which she bequeathed to her daughter. The widow of the man who freed Justa’s mother has designs on that inheritance, and the novel takes readers on a fascinating re-creation of the provincial Roman legal system as Justa strives to protect her legacy in court. She comes to the attention of idealistic young nobleman Marcus Balbus, which adds social conflict to legal woes, and Deiss & Deiss manage it all very skillfully, balancing and counterbalancing plots and subplots while keeping one eye firmly fixed on the apocalypse the reader knows is coming. Justa is an appealingly designed and profusely illustrated book, but its main attractions are the decidedly old-fashioned solid plot, attractive young lovers, a hissable villain, and an inevitable fate that just might be survivable. Highly recommended. About reviewer Steve In addition to writing reviews for the Historical Novel Society, Steve Donoghue is Managing Editor of the literary journal "Open Letters Monthly," and he writes for the "National", the "Washington Post," the "Wall Street Journal," "Kirkus," and the "Boston Globe."

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2012

About the author

Susanna Deiss, freelance writer and editor, worked for over ten years in Public Television. Her other experience includes editing for MIT Press, McGraw-Hill, Inc., and W. H. Freeman & Co. She also has published non-fiction articles in Boston Magazine and other venues, and is the author of several children’s books, and co-author of “Justa”, a novel of Ancient Rome.

Reviews

[charles p. chafee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent novel about Herculaneum

The story is based on findings from the excavation of Herculaneum buried by Vesuvius in 79A.D Many of the people are real or based on some of the victims discovered in the excavation. The court case is based on documents discovered. The book is well illustrated with pictures appropriate to their place in the story taken from actual wall paintings from the various cities destroyed in the disaster.Finally the characterization gives the reader a bond with them that will cause interest in their fate.Enjoy.😊

[Andria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into Ancient Rome: love, religion, politics and scandal!

This is quite simply a wonderfully well written book with engaging characters, captivating story lines and historical facts and references which really capture the essence and vitality of the period.

It takes place in the city of Herculaneum just before the famous volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. Justa is the name of the female protagonist and the story opens with her first court appearance. Justa's mother has died leaving her daughter an inheritance but there are complications. Her mother used to be a slave until her master bought her freedom. The master's wife is challenging the right of the inheritance stating that her Justa's mother had not yet been freed before Justa was born and therefore as such, the inheritance belongs to her.

We are told that 18 tablets were found by archeologists when excavating the site of the city. These tablets were written in Italian in a legal short hand and after many years of translation by scholars the details of the trial were published and it's this information which gave rise to the material for this book.

There are many other plots which are skillfully woven into the main story with rich characters from noble families alongside those who are not so noble but all of whom strive for the same things: power, social importance, political strength and economic wealth. Romantic liaisons between the different classes were dangerous and often adulterous leaving many illegitimate children in their wake; with the penalty of death as a punishment if the real parentage became public knowledge, people were prepared to go to great lengths to secure their secrets, stopping at nothing.

When you get over the long and sometimes confusing Greek and Latin family names (there is a great reference list of characters and descriptions at the beginning of the book to help) you will quickly be swept along by this intriguing tale which is full of secret meetings, willing spies, bribery, deceit and political struggles. There is also a strong conflict between the Gods and Christianity which often mirrors the conflicts within one of the main households and the manipulating grip that the mother has on the other members of the family: the old versus the new. Lastly there are great depictions of objects and architecture, landscapes and customs of daily Roman life: enjoy this trip back in time!