Moon Over Crete

by Jyotsna Sreenivasan, Jyotsna Sreenivisan, Sim Gellman (Illustrator)

Book by Sreenivasan, Jyotsna

Genres: Fiction, Time Travel, Fantasy, Young Adult

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1996

About the author

Jyotsna Sreenivasan, the daughter of Indian immigrants, was born and raised in Ohio. She earned an M.A. in English literature from the University of Michigan. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines, and she has received literature grants from the Washington, D.C., Commission on the Arts and Humanities. She currently lives and works in Columbus, Ohio.

Reviews

[Tiffany DuBeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a fascination with the Minoans and purchased this book as a means for me to share this with my 8 year old daughter. We read a chapter or two every night and she was so intrigued! It was a wonderful introductory for young children with some positive messages regarding the equality we as women fight for still today. It would have been nice to shed a little more light on the shared responsibilities and roles between the genders while they were at Knossos. I’m hopeful my daughter will pick the book up again and comprehends the lessons as she matures.

[Vana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much, much too short. Part I esp. loved: the beautiful man who was in love with the ugliest girl. Also: grandmothers and post-menopausal women honored. Lily was ready to face the misogynistic 21st century after living in 3500 BC.

[Salonika Neupane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my first encounters with matriarchy. Throughout the book, I felt a deep sense of longing, a nostalgia towards something my memory failed to remind me of. I was probably a pre adolescent then. Twenty years later and equipped with much more knowledge of matriarchal societies, I am just thankful to the author for showing me that a more egalitarian and a more natural way of living is possible.

[Charlotte]

Not that interesting--though the message of a society with gender equality was nice, ancient Crete is portrayed too unsubtly as a gender equality paradise, and the time travel was too easy to be interesting.