Publisher: Redhook Books, September 6th, 2022

Format: ebook

Pages: 464

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

From the multi-award-winning author Claire North comes a daring reimagining that breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It’s time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . . .

Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom.

Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door.

No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus’ empty throne—not yet. But everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, and Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war. Only through cunning, wit, and her trusted circle of maids, can she maintain the tenuous peace needed for the kingdom to survive.

This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca’s shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women—and their goddesses— that will change the course of the world.

My Review:

Thank you Redhook Books for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: mythology retellings.
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Told from the perspective of the Goddess Hera, we get to read about what has been happening in Ithica after the Trojan war and before Odysseus returns home. Penelope has been trying to run the nation and hold off a number of suitors.
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I loved that the narrator was Hera, which was an interesting perspective. Loved the action and the drama, and how smart Penelope was. I really liked her as the main character.
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CW: death, violence, war, murder, child death, domestic violence, infidelity, sexual assault, abandonment.