Otherwise: Five Myths of Transformation Told in Verse Through the Voices of Women Paperback – 24 September 2020

Otherwise is a collection of verses of five Greek myths featuring a female character going through a transformative phase. The five mythological stories revolve around Persephone, Eurydice, Ariadne, Cassandra, and Psyche. We travel with all these women whose lives turn "otherwise" in unexpected directions. Imagine these poems like a field guide in self-identity. It is similar to a nature field guide that helps us identifying a particular butterfly in the fields. Nicoletta has weaved psychoanalytical themes in these verses making the stories such as Persephone making her journey to the Underworld something that modern readers can relate to as part of self-discovery. Similarly, Minotaur inside the labyrinth is open to interpretation as our path through various stages of suffering. Sit with these verses with a copy of Jung by your side and there is so much to unpack. The verses have an effable quality, punctuated with mellifluous metaphors.This book is perfect for a delicious book club discussion with some pertinent questions such as💛How are Greek myths still relevant in modern days?💛How has male gaze evolved in the course of time or has it remained stagnant?💛What can Cassandra's inner turmoil teach us about self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or internalized patriarchy?💛Why does a narrative change when a woman tells her story?Please check out Nicoletta's website where she blogs about her interests in mythology and psychotherapy. There are some wonderful articles on Greek myths.

I fell in love with this book. Each poem is easy to read and brims with passion. The stories are told with insight and a wealth of beautiful imagery, they present the reader with a new take on the old myths. It’s a healing, very contemporary book which helps navigate this fractured world.

I purchased this book some months ago and absorbed it slowly and mindfully, at times of soulful need.It’s depths satiated that need; sometimes through powerful word and metaphor and sometimes in the evocation of heightened emotion that healed a tired mind.The title holds a special resonance for me. ‘Otherwise’ conjures a wisdom from another place. It is an unusual place of profound depth; a wiseness that is ‘other’.

In the wintertime, reading by the fire, I have dipped into Otherwise – it is so beautifully and lovingly crafted! Certainly, a book of verse only time and the eternal could weave. In this book of poetry, Nicoletta Arbia has woven the personal and universal together with gravitas, beauty and pathos. The mythopoetic figures included in this book give voice to a feminine perspective that has long awaited expression. Arbia's work brings these classical myths to life. Reading this collection of poems will give the reader deep insight into their own humanity.

A delicate, intimate journey, which presents, in soothing poetic form, some of the most intriguing and thought-provoking protagonists of Greek mythology. Although I am not a regular reader of poetry, the writing is so warm and vivid that I found it very difficult to let go of it once I got started. The ideal reading for these troubled times.

This is a beautiful collection of narrative poetry which very powerfully speaks to the reality and depth of the human condition. Very well worth reading and sitting with.