Stolen Hearts: The Love of Eros and Psyche

A Graphic Novel

Author Ryan Foley
Illustrated by Sankha Banerjee
Look inside
Paperback
$11.99 US
6.52"W x 10.24"H x 0.19"D   | 8 oz | 24 per carton
On sale Feb 15, 2011 | 88 Pages | 978-93-80028-48-4
Age 10-17 years
In the time of myths and legends...

...Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, has grown jealous of a young girl named Psyche. She is envious of the praise being heaped upon the mortal girl for her splendour. The goddess decides to dispatch her mischievous son Eros, the god of love, to perform a nasty trick.

When the trick goes awry, Eros finds himself falling in love with Psyche. Unable to resist her allure, he whisks her away to a palace in the sky. Wanting Psyche to fall in love with him for who he is and not for his name or looks, Eros hides his true identity from her and forbids her to see him in the light.

Persuaded by her two jealous sisters, Psyche plots a way to see him by lamplight. Her plan backfires and, feeling spurned and betrayed, Eros abandons her. Not wanting to live with anyone but Eros, Psyche sets out on a quest to regain the trust of her one true love.

This is a wonderful story of true love, redemption, and the conquering of impossible odds during the golden age of mythology.
Born in 1977 in New Jersey, USA, Ryan Foley's obsession with comic books began during his childhood when he was first introduced to characters like Spider-Man and Batman. Ryan lives in the small rural community of Adair, Oklahoma with his wife Amy and their three children, Alex, Jason and Lauren.

Ryan has written several graphic novel scripts for Campfire, including Stolen Hearts: The Love of Eros and Psyche, and Legend: The Labors of Heracles.
"Foley retells one of the most famous love stories of all time, and it is certainly beautiful to behold. Banerjee’s lovely, jewel-toned paintings will keep readers’ eyes glued to the page as they follow the suspenseful twists and turns of this classic tale. This adaptation begins and ends with the framing device of a teacher telling the story to her lovelorn student. This is a good narrative choice for sharing this story with young readers–they “hear” the teacher explain the story and respond to her student’s questions and exclamations along the way. The story of Eros and Psyche has more ups and downs than a roller coaster, as love, jealousy, and trust are all stretched to their breaking points. Ultimately (*spoiler alert*) true love prevails, even though it is challenged by family obligations and by death itself. This is a good adaptation of an old story, and one that will entice today’s readers." -- School Library Journal

"Ryan Foley once again seamlessly bridges the gap between the mundane concerns of mortals and the enigmatic actions of the all-mighty Powers high atop Mount Olympus. . . Stolen Hearts: The Love of Eros and Psyche is perhaps his most powerful mythic (and human) story yet. . . Sankha Bannerjee does an awesome job of breathing life into the adventure and the mytho-spiritual world it unfolds in. . . Bravo Ryan Foley, Sankha Banerjee and Campfire for bringing us such a wonderfully told, illustrated and polished graphic novel!" — The Quest for the Golden Fleece Book Reviews

"I highly recommend Campfire’s comics. They do what they are intended to do and do it in  a way that excites kids about classic literature."
— Chris Wilson, The Graphic Classroom (a resource for teachers and librarians)

"An interesting take on the story of Eros and Psyche and amazing artwork make this adaptation of the classical myth a very successful one."
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)

"If you are looking for a way to introduce a youngster to the magical world of mythology, this Campfire version of Eros and Psyche is a good place to start. It is a story that has everything: romance, jealousy, adventure, and mystery. It is a story with lessons to learn, morals to be drawn. But most important of all, it is a story told with flair and illustrated with style."
— Jack Goodstein, Blogcritics

"The classic story is ever-captivating, and the Campfire graphic novel is a great introduction to one of the less well-known Greek myths."
— Angela Eastman, suite101.com

About

In the time of myths and legends...

...Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, has grown jealous of a young girl named Psyche. She is envious of the praise being heaped upon the mortal girl for her splendour. The goddess decides to dispatch her mischievous son Eros, the god of love, to perform a nasty trick.

When the trick goes awry, Eros finds himself falling in love with Psyche. Unable to resist her allure, he whisks her away to a palace in the sky. Wanting Psyche to fall in love with him for who he is and not for his name or looks, Eros hides his true identity from her and forbids her to see him in the light.

Persuaded by her two jealous sisters, Psyche plots a way to see him by lamplight. Her plan backfires and, feeling spurned and betrayed, Eros abandons her. Not wanting to live with anyone but Eros, Psyche sets out on a quest to regain the trust of her one true love.

This is a wonderful story of true love, redemption, and the conquering of impossible odds during the golden age of mythology.

Creators

Born in 1977 in New Jersey, USA, Ryan Foley's obsession with comic books began during his childhood when he was first introduced to characters like Spider-Man and Batman. Ryan lives in the small rural community of Adair, Oklahoma with his wife Amy and their three children, Alex, Jason and Lauren.

Ryan has written several graphic novel scripts for Campfire, including Stolen Hearts: The Love of Eros and Psyche, and Legend: The Labors of Heracles.

Praise

"Foley retells one of the most famous love stories of all time, and it is certainly beautiful to behold. Banerjee’s lovely, jewel-toned paintings will keep readers’ eyes glued to the page as they follow the suspenseful twists and turns of this classic tale. This adaptation begins and ends with the framing device of a teacher telling the story to her lovelorn student. This is a good narrative choice for sharing this story with young readers–they “hear” the teacher explain the story and respond to her student’s questions and exclamations along the way. The story of Eros and Psyche has more ups and downs than a roller coaster, as love, jealousy, and trust are all stretched to their breaking points. Ultimately (*spoiler alert*) true love prevails, even though it is challenged by family obligations and by death itself. This is a good adaptation of an old story, and one that will entice today’s readers." -- School Library Journal

"Ryan Foley once again seamlessly bridges the gap between the mundane concerns of mortals and the enigmatic actions of the all-mighty Powers high atop Mount Olympus. . . Stolen Hearts: The Love of Eros and Psyche is perhaps his most powerful mythic (and human) story yet. . . Sankha Bannerjee does an awesome job of breathing life into the adventure and the mytho-spiritual world it unfolds in. . . Bravo Ryan Foley, Sankha Banerjee and Campfire for bringing us such a wonderfully told, illustrated and polished graphic novel!" — The Quest for the Golden Fleece Book Reviews

"I highly recommend Campfire’s comics. They do what they are intended to do and do it in  a way that excites kids about classic literature."
— Chris Wilson, The Graphic Classroom (a resource for teachers and librarians)

"An interesting take on the story of Eros and Psyche and amazing artwork make this adaptation of the classical myth a very successful one."
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)

"If you are looking for a way to introduce a youngster to the magical world of mythology, this Campfire version of Eros and Psyche is a good place to start. It is a story that has everything: romance, jealousy, adventure, and mystery. It is a story with lessons to learn, morals to be drawn. But most important of all, it is a story told with flair and illustrated with style."
— Jack Goodstein, Blogcritics

"The classic story is ever-captivating, and the Campfire graphic novel is a great introduction to one of the less well-known Greek myths."
— Angela Eastman, suite101.com