Ithaca
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Description
***A Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year***
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.
'The greatest power we women can own is that which we take in secret.'
Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the isle 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's empty throne - not yet. But as everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war . . .
From the multi award-winning Claire North comes a daring, exquisite and moving tale that breathes life into ancient myth, and tells of the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It's time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . .
'Everything I've wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece' Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin
'Told in the arresting voice of the goddess Hera . . . Ithaca conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies' The Times
'Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history' Booklist
'Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime' Hannah Lynn, author of Athena's Child
The Songs of Penelope series:
Ithaca
House of Odysseus
The Last Song of Penelope
Book Information
Posts
I, who part the veil of time, will tell those stories that only the women tell. - Hera
Und boy, Hera erzählt. Von Penelope, die Ithaka 17 Jahre nach Odysseus' Abreise immer noch am Laufen hält und in einer von Männern dominierten Welt doch nicht Königin sein darf. Von Clytemnestra, die wie eine Königin in Agamemnons Abwesenheit regierte und schließlich mit dem Leben bezahlte. Von den Frauen auf Ithaka, die lernen müssen, ihre Heimat zu verteidigen, weil die Männer auf der Insel entweder zu alt sind oder damit beschäftigt, Penelope zu umwerben. "Ithaca" erzählt von den Opfern, die Frauen bringen; nur die wenigsten freiwillig. Hera, als Göttin der Königinnen und Mütter und Frauen kommentiert die Geschehnisse nicht nur auf eine fantastisch sassy Art und Weise, sondern lässt es sich nicht nehmen, hin und wieder einzugreifen und auch Athene und Artemis zu rekrutieren.
Description
***A Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year***
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.
'The greatest power we women can own is that which we take in secret.'
Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the isle 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's empty throne - not yet. But as everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war . . .
From the multi award-winning Claire North comes a daring, exquisite and moving tale that breathes life into ancient myth, and tells of the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It's time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . .
'Everything I've wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece' Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin
'Told in the arresting voice of the goddess Hera . . . Ithaca conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies' The Times
'Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history' Booklist
'Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime' Hannah Lynn, author of Athena's Child
The Songs of Penelope series:
Ithaca
House of Odysseus
The Last Song of Penelope
Book Information
Posts
I, who part the veil of time, will tell those stories that only the women tell. - Hera
Und boy, Hera erzählt. Von Penelope, die Ithaka 17 Jahre nach Odysseus' Abreise immer noch am Laufen hält und in einer von Männern dominierten Welt doch nicht Königin sein darf. Von Clytemnestra, die wie eine Königin in Agamemnons Abwesenheit regierte und schließlich mit dem Leben bezahlte. Von den Frauen auf Ithaka, die lernen müssen, ihre Heimat zu verteidigen, weil die Männer auf der Insel entweder zu alt sind oder damit beschäftigt, Penelope zu umwerben. "Ithaca" erzählt von den Opfern, die Frauen bringen; nur die wenigsten freiwillig. Hera, als Göttin der Königinnen und Mütter und Frauen kommentiert die Geschehnisse nicht nur auf eine fantastisch sassy Art und Weise, sondern lässt es sich nicht nehmen, hin und wieder einzugreifen und auch Athene und Artemis zu rekrutieren.