“Daughter of Ruins” author and longtime “Extra” senior producer Yvette Manessis Corporon has been dreaming of her Greek-historical-and-mythology-laced novels being adapted for television since her debut title “When The Cypress Whispers” was released in 2014. Now, 10 years later, the author with Greek ancestry is more hopeful than ever for a chance to break into that side of Hollywood because she can see her latest book “so clearly” as a TV series above all her other novels.
“From your mouth to [Reese Witherspoon’s production company] Hello Sunshine’s, everyone and anyone you know in TV production’s ears, yes,” Corporon told Variety during a recent interview, when asked about plans for “Daughter of Ruins” to be developed into a TV series. “It’s every author dream having their book adapted. I’ve always dreamed of that with every single book. I will say about this story, I just see it so clearly, and I just think it has all the elements. It has the exotic, beautiful locations, it has the gorgeous symbolism of the snakes, of the caves, of the mythology. There’s just real deep, emotional stories and beautiful, if I do say so myself, characters, and also these themes that we can really all relate to. So I see all the elements there. I would love to see it as a series.”
Set in the direct aftermath of WWII and spanning the rest of the 20th century, Corporon’s “Daughter of Ruins,” which hit shelves Oct. 8, is full of the history, culture and myths of Greece. The story follows the intersecting stories three women (sex worker Elena, mail-order bride Maria and young artist Demitra) as they “struggle to control their destinies, fighting to become the women they were meant to be.”
In a recent review by Oprah Daily, writer Adam Glassman noted how good a candidated “Daughter of Ruins” would be for adaptation, praise that Corporon is honored to have. “I hope and pray that it does happen,” she said. “Honestly, of all my books, I have to say, I just think this would be a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, multi-part adaptation.”
For now, Corporon, who is a multi-time Emmy winner for her work as senior producer on syndicated entertainment news show “Extra,” is thinking through her next idea for a novel. Though she’s not ruling out the idea of revisiting the stories of Demitra, Elena and Maria beyond the end of “Daughter of Ruins,” she says that’s “not the plan as of now,” and she’s more focused on new ideas within her preferred world of modern Greek history and mythology.
“I definitely think, if there’s a publisher or someone who’s interested, or if there’s a resounding theme among readers of, ‘Please revisit!,’ oh, my goodness, I would love to, because I love these characters and these families,” Corporon said. “But that’s not the plan as of now. I’m open to anything right now. I’m sort of coming up with my next idea, which will once again be modernish Greek history, exploring themes of art and cultural identity — and there’s always food. So I don’t plan on continuing the story as of now, but never say never.”