I fear my novels might not appeal to the modern dudebro* brigade.
But I will not be cowed and fully intend to write strong female characters into my narratives.
These are women in bygone times who would have had no truck with today’s MAGA hat wearers and misogynistic bullyboys.
I’ve been doing this for years but only recently did I detect a hint of this strangely viral dudebro disease, from a USA reader, in a review of Vipers of Rome (Sapere Books, 2024):
A Roman/Sicilian female who was a navigator, a fighter, and a tracker made me mentally step back every time she appeared on the page.
The character, Marina, is Sicilian and why wouldn’t a woman from that island find joy in navigating by the stars and at the same time throw in her lot with a downtrodden community facing aggression from a power-hungry ancient dictator?
It would be pointless, I know, to suggest the reviewer reads my other novels to find (and be enlightened by) more women in my historicals who achieve great things against the odds…
Nitsevet
The mother of a future king is reviled by the priests and the mob in her home town because they falsely believe she just might have committed adultery. Dudebro might like the opening paragraphs of Line in the Sand (Sapere, 2024):
The woman’s eyes searched for help as she was led, forcibly, by two powerful youths outside the gates where judgement was made. The crowd was ruthless, and almost entirely women. Insults were hurled in her direction. Two priests waited, beards twitching with menace, their shawls pushed back, revealing cruel eyes yearning for bloodshed.
‘What is going on?’ the woman asked.
‘It’s nothing,’ said the taller man with a false smile. ‘They just want to ask you a few questions, that’s all.’
‘About what? Why are all these women here? And why outside the gates?’
The woman took a step back, but the other youth grabbed her wrist. She felt the strength of his large farmer’s hand and tried to pull away. ‘Let go of me,’ she hissed, but he pulled her towards the priests, the other pushing her onwards. Her headscarf slipped with the sudden movement, revealing greying shoulder-length hair. She struggled but the men were too strong.
‘Why do you not treat me with the respect due to your mother?’ She fought back tears.
The women in the crowd fell silent and turned to watch the peculiar sight of two of the headman’s sons dragging their reviled mother towards the priests, then voiced a rising swell of scorn and curses. The woman felt a hopeless shame wash over her. Her knees gave way so that she was dragged, stumbling, before the priests. How had she allowed this to happen after so many years of keeping herself away from these ignorant people? She muttered a prayer to Yahweh, the distant god who demanded secrecy and silence in the face of bitter accusations.
She fell to her knees as her wrists were released. She groped for her head covering and pulled it loosely over her hair to try to cover her shame. Her tears fell freely now, splattering in the dust before the sandalled feet of the priests. She noticed the black dirt under their jagged toenails.
The taller youth crouched beside her and spoke calmly, his mouth close to her ear. ‘Everything will be all right if you just tell the priests where your little bastard is.’
Yup, dudebro priests in Iron Age Judah 1,000 BCE. But today’s dudebros won’t like the outcome let alone the role of women in the story of David & Goliath in Line in the Sand (Sapere, 2024). BTW I am indebted to Chana Weisberg of the Chabad Institute for her wisdom in explaining why Nitsevet, mother of King David, was so reviled. Including this quote from Psalm 69: “Those who sit by the gate talk about me. I am the taunt of drunkards.”
Zara
Then Dudebro should go on to read Sea of Flames (Sapere, 2024) which features a starring role for Zaramandukht (Zara to her friends), handmaiden to Queen Cleopatra alongside Iras and Charmion. I won’t tell you what the bad guy does to Zara and her boyfriend Eurycles because there’s a chapter of serious shock and awe in the book.
Leandra
You’ll be rooting for Leandra in Libertas (you guessed it, Sapere 2024) who ends up ruling a small Mediterranean port that is modern-day Marbella.
Epona
Dudebro will hate the series I’m currently working on – The Britannia Conspiracy set in northern Gaul and Britain in 56-54BCE. Bear with me on this, but a flame-haired priestess (Epona) having a crucial role in seeing off Julius Caesar, the ultimate dudebro with distinct Trumpian traits?
Read it and weep. But not yet. Due out later this year.
Access to the aforementioned books via my website. Or search on Amazon.
Meanwhile, please leave a comment, dudebros included, or maybe share if you’re likeminded with my work. It’s all free, no donations expected.
* Dudebro: “A young, usually white male who is perceived as obnoxiously entitled and often prejudiced or narrow-minded” (Dictionary.com)
Your frank writings have caught my attention.
Having taught a few dudebros, spoken to Dad dudebros or stood alongside some on a rugby touchline with the first aid kit I feel coming from a longline of kickass Celts has stood me in good stead.I appreciate your labours.