: This "savvily plotted" reimagining was shortlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction and named a best book of the year by The Guardian and NPR. Reader Demographics & Appeals
: While traditional epics like The Iliad focus on male glory and "heroes" like Achilles and Odysseus, Haynes shifts the lens entirely to the women—from the Trojan queens awaiting enslavement to the goddesses whose petty squabbles sparked the conflict.
: The novel is framed by the Muse Calliope, who is tired of being summoned by male poets to sing only of men. She ensures the stories of Hecabe, Cassandra, Andromache, and Penelope are finally heard.
: Readers particularly enjoy her witty, increasingly sarcastic letters to an absent Odysseus, which provide a humorous counterpoint to his "heroic" wandering.
: The book uses a polyphonic structure, with short, punchy chapters that jump between the different emotional landscapes of mortals and immortals.
For a retail feature on , focus on its unique positioning as a feminist "all-female" epic that breathes new life into the well-worn myths of the Trojan War. This novel is a prime recommendation for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe or Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls . Key Highlights for Retail Feature
Choose from hundreds of ready-to-use training courses covering critical workplace skills and topics.
Choose from hundreds of ready-to-use training courses covering critical workplace skills and topics.