Chapter 2: Author's Note – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Colby Cedar Smith’s Author’s Note explains how the novel grew out of family stories she heard while growing up. She acknowledges that she significantly altered actual events to shape the narrative. Smith never knew her great-grandparents Giorgos and Jeanne, so their journeys from Greece and France are based on a handful of historical documents, research, travel to Europe, and stories passed down through her grandmother Mary and her siblings. The author attempted to immerse herself in the early twentieth century, then crafted a plot with twists and vivid imagery. Her deepest hope is that she represented her family well and that they would have been pleased with the book. At times, she says, the story felt so insistent that it seemed her ancestors were whispering what to write.

Smith wrote the novel primarily for her grandmother Mary, who became a successful businesswoman in the 1950s—a time when women rarely entered boardrooms. She wore pantsuits when aprons and pearls were the norm. Mary never let misfortune hold her back and always found the courage to act even when afraid, a lesson Smith considers one of life’s most valuable. Mary was a gifted storyteller who could captivate a whole room with her humor, intellect, and infectious high-pitched laugh. She recounted her childhood in Detroit’s Greektown, the Ford factory, the family’s poverty, and her fight for independence. The same story was never told the same way twice, but listeners cherished the rich details and passion. Mary died at 92 after years with Alzheimer’s, which erased nearly all her memories. But her stories live on in her family’s recollections and in this book.

The note includes photographs of Smith’s great-grandparents, grandmother, and great-uncles, along with a manifest from the RMS Olympic (sister ship to the Titanic). Smith’s great-grandparents appear as numbers six and seven on the list. In the novel she moved their travel date to 1918 instead of the actual 1920, but kept the ship because of its historical significance. She also notes that her first name, Colby, appears twice on the manifest in the porter’s handwriting, which she felt was a sign that she was meant to write this story.

Key Events

Smith bases the novel on family lore but changes many real events.
She researches historical documents, visits Europe, and gathers oral histories to imagine her great-grandparents’ experiences.
The author writes the book as a tribute to her grandmother Mary.
Mary Skandalaris (later Smith) becomes a successful businesswoman in the 1950s, defying gender norms.
Mary dies at age 92 after an Alzheimer’s battle that erased her memories, but her stories survive.
Smith includes a photograph of the RMS Olympic manifest, which lists her great-grandparents and even her own first name.

Character Development

Colby Cedar Smith (author): Reveals her personal connection to the story, her research process, and her motivation to honor her family.
Mary Skandalaris/Smith: Smith’s grandmother, portrayed as courageous, independent, and a phenomenal storyteller who overcame poverty and gender barriers.
Giorgos and Jeanne (Skandalaris): Great-grandparents whose immigration journey is reconstructed from limited evidence; their real names appear on a ship manifest.
Gus and John Skandalaris: Great-uncles, mentioned briefly as part of the family photograph.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Memory and Legacy: The author grapples with how memories fade (Mary’s Alzheimer’s) yet stories can endure through writing.
Courage and Independence: Mary’s career as a female business owner in the 1950s becomes a model of bravery.
Historical Truth vs. Creative Fiction: Smith openly states she changed events, foregrounding the tension between factual accuracy and narrative drive.
Whispering Ancestors: A motif of ancestral voices guiding the author’s hand, suggesting a spiritual or imaginative connection to the past.
The Ship Manifest: The RMS Olympic document acts as a tangible link to the family’s journey; its inclusion of the author’s own name feels like a personal calling.

Why This Chapter Matters

The Author’s Note is the reader’s first glimpse into how Call Me Athena was made. It establishes that the novel is a blend of research and imagination, not strict biography. This context helps readers understand why some details may feel heightened or altered. More importantly, it introduces the real person behind the fictionalized grandmother: Mary Smith, whose resilience and storytelling gifts inspired the whole work. The note also underscores the novel’s central preoccupation with memory—both its fragility (via Alzheimer’s) and its power (via passed-down tales). For students and book clubs, it offers a starting point for discussing the ethics of fictionalizing family history and the role of the author as a keeper of stories.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Colby Cedar Smith emphasize that she changed actual events from her family’s history?
She wants readers to understand the book is a work of fiction inspired by true stories, not a factual memoir. By acknowledging the alterations, she respects her family while freeing herself to create a compelling narrative with twists and imagery.

2. How does the author describe her grandmother Mary’s character, and what lesson does she draw from her life?
Mary is portrayed as a witty, tough businesswoman who wore pantsuits in the 1950s, fought for her independence despite poverty, and never let fear stop her. Smith identifies Mary’s ability to summon courage even when afraid as one of life’s most valuable lessons.

3. What significance does the RMS Olympic manifest have for the author?
The ship’s manifest lists Smith’s great-grandparents as passengers, physically linking her family to a historic vessel. Moreover, her first name “Colby” appears twice in the porter’s handwriting on the manifest, which she interprets as a sign that she was meant to write this story.