About the Event

Travel to Greece and indulge in a delicious Greek lunch! Adventures by the Book is pleased to partner with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Diego State University for a Culture & Cuisine of Greece Edventure with critically acclaimed author Kaia Alexander, as she discusses her novel, Written in the Ashes.

Join us for a wonderful morning over lunch at The Greek Palace, while we discuss the culture and cuisine of Greece and the country which gave Kaia the inspiration and backdrop for her novel. This Edventure includes a delicious Greek lunch buffet, soft drink, tax, gratuity, book discussion, Q&A, book signing, and the opportunity to meet the author up close and personal in an intimate and authentic setting.

About the Book and Author

Kaia Alexander is a novelist and screenwriter, who focuses on the empowerment of women. Her debut novel, Written in the Ashes, is a historical novel about the events that led up to the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria, Egypt, as well as the life and tragic death of Hypatia, the first female mathematician/philosopher.

Kaia hails from a southern lineage of women writers. Her great grandmother, Nonni, ran a small newspaper in Earl, Arkansas in the late 1800’s. Kaia’s first writing mentor was novelist Tom Robbins. They met on the island of Maui, and have been pen pals for over 20 years. She was later mentored by the late comedian Garry Shandling, with whom she bonded over Zen, camping, jokes, and basketball.

About the book: In the bloody clash between Christians and pagans in fifth-century Alexandria, a servant girl becomes the last hope for preserving peace in this evocative and thrilling tale—a blend of history, adventure, religion, romance, and mysticism reminiscent of The Mists of Avalon.

After she is abducted from her home in the mountains of Sinai, Hannah is enslaved and taken to Alexandria, where she becomes the property of Alizar, an alchemist and pagan secretly working to preserve his culture. Revered for her beautiful singing voice, the young slave is invited to perform at the city’s Great Library, where she becomes friends with the revered mathematician and philosopher, Hypatia, as well as other pagans who curate its magnificent collections. Determined to help them uphold pagan culture and traditions, Hannah embarks on a dangerous quest to unite the fractured pieces of the Emerald Tablet—the last hope to save the pagans and create peace.

On this odyssey that leads her to the lost oracles of Delfi and Amun-Ra and to rediscovered ancient cities and rituals, Hannah will experience forbidden loves, painful betrayals, and poignant reunions. But her efforts may be in vain. Returning to Alexandria, Hannah finds a city engulfed in violence, even as her own romantic entanglements come to a head. Now, it’s not only her future, but the fate of all Alexandria that is at stake.

Registration

Registration now open at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Diego State University

Due to the special nature of this Edventure, Osher membership is required and may be obtained at a minimal cost at time of registration; limited spaces are available for this unique experience, so early registration is recommended.