What is a tragedy? The Classical world defined it as a tale ending in death or fall of the hero. But who is the hero? The ancient bards assigned it to men who were brave and admirable. It is Oedipus, the man who wanted to escape his prophecy and in the process brought his doom closer. It is Achilles, whose wrath ended in the loss of his beloved and then his own life. It is never the women left behind to fend for themselves, or the women who lived even as Troy burned. It is never women, for they do not go to wars and die valiant deaths; they only live on, no matter through what.

Then is this book a tragedy, or is it neither tragedy nor comedy? Claire North makes us all rethink the definitions we’ve been taught, the stories we have been told, the gods we have been taught to admire. Most important, she questions, what is an end? The story certainly doesn’t end, even when the bards stop narrating. Someone else picks up the last thread and weaves again, then someone else, again and again.

Ithaca is a book that makes you think, forget the conventions, face the harshest side of history and myth. I takes us beyond the bards’ songs. And doing it through the eyes of the goddess who has always been relegated to the background and the protector of mothers gives it a touch of uniqueness. Amidst so many retellings with feminine leads, how many times does Hera appear as an important character, playing a pivotal role? Yet she lives through the wives and mothers who have only held knives to skin hens, held no shields but crying children, only walked fields to tend their farms. She lives through the women who cry themselves to sleep after being used for their bodies, the women whose sons have grown to known women have nothing to give beyond progeny. She lived through the women of Ithaca, left for two decades to their device and foreigners plundered the kingdom.

This story is poetic in its language. It delves into the politics of human and divinity. The narration is beautifully constructed. There is no room for complaint, as every aspect of the story is taken care of. Much of the retellings focus on how one woman has been wronged by the men around her. This story is about how women are constantly fighting the wrongs by men. It shatters the image that noble and brave men possess no fault, and also the image of gods being faultless. Each character is blinded by something, carrying the baggage of their past, fending off the present, bitter in how life has treated them. And the limelight never shifts from the women.

This book gives the reader a new insight into the works of Classical Antiquity. Reading any other original work after this book would take a new meaning. The well-constructed and well-researched narrative makes one feel this is a work of history, and not fiction.

Can’t fault this one. The storytelling is clear (sometimes many of the Greek names blurred together in my mind, but this isn’t a fault of the book at all) and the characterisation is perfect at every moment. This is the story of Penelope, but narrated from the perspective of Hera, Queen of the Olympians. I absolutely loved Hera and thought she was the perfect choice for this – just omniscient enough for the 3rd POV whilst still being personal enough to get an emotional connection to the other characters. Her offhanded comments throughout the book give great humour (hoot bloody hoot), but she’s also capable of seeing the darkness inside each woman (death to all Greeks). I also love how this book doesn’t gloss over the more ‘uncomfortable’ parts of Greek mythology too – Zeus is both brother and husband, and the gods are childish and selfish, indifferent to the suffering of most mortals. I’m so glad this is part of a series, and excited to see who appears in the next instalment.

Ithaca tells the story of Odysseus‘s wife Penelope - or rather that of the whole island - from Hera‘s point of view, which is a very unique choice of an unreliable narrator that surprised me initially but proved to be quite interesting. I do respect that choice as it enabled the author to have a comparably omniscient narrator, but would have preferred had the story been told from the points of view of Penelope herself and maybe some of the other major female characters.

Although I did read large parts of both the Iliad and the Odyssey in Latin class in school, and had some insight into Penelope‘s life from reading A Thousand Ships, I was only familiar with the rough basics of her story and knew almost nothing about the rest of Greek politics at the time, or the way the kingdom was impacted by Odysseus‘s absence. Therefore I found that this book brought the stories together and introduced all of the characters in a way that was very easy to understand and to follow - and here it certainly helped to have Hera as the narrator!

As for the story itself, I found it very interesting that the author chose to end the book at this particular point in the story. That is not to say that I didn’t like it, quite in the contrary actually! It makes perfect sense due to the fact that the book focuses on the women’s stories, despite being an unconventional choice. However, I would of course have liked to hear about Odysseus‘s return from this perspective as well.

Another aspect I found very interesting was the focus on Penelope‘s son. I have practically no background knowledge on his story, so I don’t know how much of this was given and how much was artistic freedom (I would imagine the Odyssey focuses on his more honourable qualities), but I found it to be a very likely depiction of what Telemachus must have felt about living in the shadow of his father‘s memory.

In general, I felt like the plot dragged a bit at points and I was repeatedly fed up by Hera‘s unreliability as a narrator, which was influenced by her own personal stakes in the outcome of the story. I would say that her voice was a lot like what I imagined her to be like, and I appreciate that she wasn’t overlooked for once, but I simply didn’t like her and was often annoyed by her.

Either way, as someone who is continually looking for mythology retellings of any and all parts of the epic poetry of Ancient Greece, I appreciated Ithaca for what it made of Penelope‘s story and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a different, feminist perspective on one of the greatest Greek warriors‘ family history.

3.5/5 stars.

An interesting tale of ancient Greece and the Gods, crammed full of power struggles, politics and strong, clever women. I was drawn into the story of Ithaca and its queen, Penelope - admiring her skills at navigating the trials of ruling the land without seeming to rule it at all. Her intelligence and cunning were evident in her actions, and I enjoyed reading about the different women on the island and their tricks and successes, every effort made to seem as though they were doing nothing when they were, in fact, doing everything. Using Hera’s voice to narrate the goings on in Ithaca and give insight to other characters without including multiple POVs was unique, albeit a little confusing at times to distinguish between her own stories and those of the people of Ithaca. However, the interplay between Hera and her family offered another level to the story, with parallels between the Greek Gods and the Greek people we see in Ithaca. This book fits well amongst the feminist retellings of ancient Greece but it did leave me a little confused at times, jumping between past, present, and future and throwing together a large number of characters that were hard to keep track of.

i received the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i received both the e-arc and the audiobook and i switched reading and listening up a bit. i’ll say the narrator had a good voice for this, but because of the writing, sometimes it seemed a little like a textbook on greek mythology, especially in the beginning.

as for the actual story, i’ll say i think one needs more knowledge of greek mythology than i have. so that was a bit of a bummer, because i sometimes had no clue what was going on, and only started understanding bits of the actual story around 40%, when i switched to reading instead of listening. thankfully i do know the story of elektra and her family, because if i didn’t, i think i would be very confused reading this book.

i liked the writing, even though it was a bit too descriptive at times. i liked the feminist approach the author took and the men-hating lines made my day.

overall, i liked reading it. but i think i should have read it after obtaining more knowledge of greek mythology. not much to do about that now though.

Loved this book. It was laugh-out-loud funny in places, which I wasn't expecting. I know these myths inside out but this current crop of retellings are for the most part, bringing something a little bit extra. Claire North has found another angle to this old story. Waiting now for Telemachus to finally break out of his very long, teenage sulk. Thanks to Netgalley.

The women of Ithaca saw their menfolk off to war with Troy 17 years ago & still wait for their return. Narrated by Hera, this is the story of the women of Ithaca & Odysseus’s queen, Penelope, along with their son Telemachus & the many suitors vying for Penelope’s hand in marriage. There are numerous Greek names thrown in the mix & just when you’re getting into the story you’re suddenly reminded that it’s Hera narrating & you lose connectivity with the characters.

I loved reading the Greek myths at school & have enjoyed several retelling of the stories recently but while I enjoyed parts (the Monty Pythonesque description of the hired mourners was brilliant) I felt that much of the book was too clever for me (reminiscent of a school book requiring analysing) & detracted from the actual story.

I couldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy it because I did, the actual storyline was good but I found myself skimming chunks of it to get to the next bit of story.

Penelope was a young bride when her husband King Odysseus leave her to joined war of Troy. But it is almost eighteen years ago and no-one comeback since that. As a Queen in their island, Penelope must stand strong to keep his husband throne and her own safety. Everyday is new challenges and forge her own strength and mind. Ithaca is one of my most anticipated read this year. I always curious about Penelope life and eager hear her inner struggles.
Do I get what I expected from this beauty book?

I realized this is not fit me when almost whole book make me so struggles to get my self step on the plot and finished it. The over describe flowery writing and nonstop bouncy between POV are my main issues. The choice to make Hera as the narrator bring tendency to make this plot stories growing wide and her storytelling unfocused. Her position as Queen of the God make she can seeing and paid attention to everyone, everything and everywhere. And sometimes she also lost focus from Ithaca and busy talked about oldies family drama, random characters and her own desperateness at her immortal life. Sadly at least for me it is make this book missed chance to focus and dig deeper to important plots and characters on story.

I really want to love Ithaca, but this one isn't for me. I will still recommend it to other readers who really love Greek mythology, slow burn plot, multiple characters and enjoy poetically descriptive heavy prosa. Because I believe not all books will suitable everyone taste, but it isn't mean it is bad.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit, Little Brown Book Group UK for provided me with this complimentary copy. I am truly grateful and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Ithaca will coming at 8 September 2022.

Tenía mucho interés en el nuevo libro de Claire North, porque la mitología clásica siempre es un acierto en esta casa y North es una autora que no te deja indiferente. Además, la idea de que Ithaca tenía como narradora a la diosa Hera me llamaba poderosamente la atención, así como el enfoque feminista de la novela.


Ithaca se sitúa en es la isla homónima, 18 años después de la partida de Ulises y en pleno apogeo de los aspirantes al matrimonio con Penélope y por supuesto a su trono. La guerra de Troya se llevó a la flor y nata de los hombres de las naciones griegas, dejando atrás las mujeres para hacerse cargo de todo mientras ellos buscaban la gloria en el campo de batalla.

Penélope se encuentra por lo tanto en la incómoda situación de tener que caminar haciendo un difícil equilibrio entre defender su posición sin irritar a ninguno de los pretendientes, que buscan cualquier excusa para forzar su elección y acabar con el status quo. Además, los continuos festines que son necesarios para honrar a los visitantes suponen una pesada carga para los limitados recursos de la isla y el escenario es cada día más inestable.

Me gusta cómo la autora ha decidido cargar las tintas en esta dualidad, en la capacidad de las mujeres para gestionar cualquier proyecto de forma eficiente pero cómo la hipocresía de la sociedad contemporánea las obliga a ocultar sus méritos so pena de ser acusadas de brujería o cualquier otra patraña. ¿Cuánto tiempo ha pasado desde la época griega clásica? Y, sin embargo, vemos algunas situaciones que podrían ser reflejo perfecto de la actualidad.

También me gusta mucho la elección de la narradora, porque Hera a pesar de ser una de las diosas más poderosas es quizá también una de las más desconocidas, famosa más bien por la cornamenta que le hace lucir su marido y sus arrebatos de ira frente a los vástagos del Amo del Olimpo. Debería ser el narrador omnisciente por antonomasia,

El libro tiene un ritmo pausado, con especial hincapié en las desigualdades hombre-mujer más que en la epicidad típica de los mitos griegos. Y es un cambio interesante, pero también he de reconocer que a veces peca de morosa en determinados capítulos. Por otra parte, a la mayoría de los personajes masculinos dan ganas de estrellarlos contra la pared, especialmente Telémaco, que es un quiero y no puedo de manual.


El problema que le veo a la novela es que Claire North ha renunciado a su estilo más característico y reconocible de prosa para adaptarse a la narración de los mitos griegos, pero esta misma renuncia es la que hace que Ithaca no destaque sobremanera entre los muchísimos retellings de mitología clásica que ya existen.

Retellings of Greek mythology and Ancient Greek epics seem to be the genre of choice in the 2020s; from Jennifer Saint’s two novels to Lore Olympus, and more besides, every writer continues to bring something new to old tales. Ithaca by Claire North is no exception to the rule.
Eighteen years since Odysseus left for Troy, eight years since he was to set sail home, we join the women of Ithaca, we see the quiet island troubled by threats. From pirate raids and warring suitors growing weary of stalling tactics, to a husband-murdering cousin hiding from justice and the children looking to avenge someone who might not deserve avenging.
The novel in advertising is frequently described as being the ‘untold’ version of Penelope’s perspective of The Odyssey, and this is something which permeates through the novel proper. Even extending to its narrator, who is revealed in a throwaway line in chapter six as being Hera, the Goddess of Marriage, and someone I have also found in Greek mythology to have been overlooked and unable to have her point of view heard. It is a perfect combination for the story itself, one that allows for such a refreshing perspective on something so familiar in the public consciousness.
Each woman in the narrative feels so unique, too. Penelope, whose only description in the classics was her loyalty to Odysseus and her cunning to rival her husband’s, flourishes here as Claire North puts these traits front and centre.
Ithaca strikes me as a novel somewhere between The Penelopiad (for obvious reasons), Ariadne (its interactions between gods and humanity), and Silence of the Girls (a deeper, physical look at the Trojan War from the perspective of the women), and it found a poignant balance between all three. Its look behind the scenes of these great adventures sometimes, however, feels too padded; there are some moments in the final 1/3 of the novel which I felt could have wrapped up a little sooner.
The novel’s tone is brutal at times, to the point, unflinching. The narrator tells you, the reader, how it is. Whether it’s a cutting remark about how Odysseus has “grown in stature … if only in the poet’s eye. (chapter 2). But it allows a more visual description of the smallest elements, transporting readers to the front line of conflict visible and hidden alike, and you can’t look away from the desperate moments or mistakes.
The book, the story told by so many different angles, is about power.
“The poets do not sing of women” but our writers certainly do.

I found myself struggling at first to get into this book as I was confused about the characters introduced in the first chapter and the writing wasn’t what I expected.
However…once I fell into the world and connected with the writing I found myself enjoying this book. It is truly one of the more original interpretations of Greek myth. North has crafted her own story using well known characters often relegated to being secondary to the hero.
It is also a true feminist retelling. With the females at the heart of this novel. Females with wholly different personalities and complex characters.
The use of Hera as a narrator was a confusing choice but it was nice to give her a voice of her own. Once again I keeping with the feminist voices.
I rated it 3.5 because while I loved these elements of the novel; the beginning was a struggle for me and I didn’t really understand why certain sections/characters were included. But I think it is a Greek Mythology retelling that is needed to bring some variety to this loved genre.

A retelling of the Greek myths from the perspective of the queens - I was definitely up for this book.

The world building and the level of detail the author included was incredible.

It did take me some time to get into the story with so many character names to remember and did have to flick back and forth a few times. I’m not sure all the characters were necessary as I felt some added very little to the story.

I loved the irreverent tone of Hera throughout the book but it did tend to dominate the narrative and make it much more Hera’s story than Penelopes.

I did find it hard to ‘bond’ with most of the characters so I was not as invested in their stories as I might otherwise have been. I think this was added to by Hera observing and reporting from a distance rather than as a direct part of the story.

I did enjoy this one but sadly not as much as I thought I might

3,25 / 5 ⭐

Tras una serie de libros a medio camino entre la fantasía y la ciencia ficción, Claire North se anima con la publicación de una versión en clave feminista de la historia de uno de los personajes de la Odisea. La novela se centra en la figura de Penélope, la mujer de Odiseo, quien queda a la espera en la isla de Ítaca durante veinte años a que su marido regrese de la guerra de Troya. Es hacia el final de este periodo cuando la novela de North se sitúa.

Ithaca, sin embargo, no se cuenta desde el punto de vista de Penélope sino de Hera, esposa y hermana de Zeus. Hera no es una narradora más para esta historia ya que aporta comentarios tan ácidos como críticos sobre las acciones de su propio marido o de cómo debería proceder la propia Penélope. Su punto de vista como diosa permite que la narración se mueva de un personaje a otro, algo aleatorio en ocasiones, aunque centrándose en buena parte en el de la mujer de Odiseo.

A la isla de Ítaca llegan numerosos pretendientes para ocupar el lugar de Odiseo y casarse con Penélope. Con esta intención u otras más agresivas hacen aparición por allí una gran cantidad de nombres que hacen que aquello parezca la isla de los famosos en versión griega clásica. Penélope hará lo posible para evitar todo compromiso y permitir que su hijo Telémaco siga creciendo y pueda imponerse a todos ellos mientras hace tiempo ante una posible vuelta de Odiseo. Un Telémaco con una aportación importante al desarrollo tanto de la protagonista como de la novela en sí misma.

A pesar de lo atractivo de la propuesta y de que la obra apenas pierde ritmo por lo que se lee muy fácil, me cuesta encontrar algo que la haga destacar sobre otras versiones de los poemas o personajes griegos en clave fantástica y feminista que se publican actualmente. Por otro lado, debo mencionar que North ha adaptado su escritura a un tono distinto al que nos tenía acostumbrados, por lo que he echado en falta el estilo tan característico de la autora en novelas previas. Por cierto que es la primera entrega de una trilogía aunque el cierre sea satisfactorio.

A tangled Web

Although somewhat sated with the genre of feminist revision of heroines in Greek myth, I was persuaded to try this new account of the deeds of Penelope wife of Odysseus, as Penelope has always struck me as the perfect mate of the cunning Odysseus, clever and resourceful herself, able, on occasion, to outwit her own husband. This is the Penelope of the Odyssey. Of course, Homer also portrays her as faithful where Odysseus is not, a woman subject to male authority, unable to rid herself of the hated suitors, only to delay their requests. The solution to the suitor problem comes, violently, with the return of Odysseus himself to Ithaca.

In this first volume of Penelope’s story, set a year or so before Odysseus’ return, but ranging deeply into the past, Clare North has remained remarkably close to Homer’s Penelope, while writing a completely original story. The story of Penelope’s resistance respects the conventions of Homeric Greece, i.e. a woman cannot rule, while allowing Penelope to devise a cunning and decisive response to the plots of the suitors. At the end of this first volume I find myself eagerly waiting for the return of Odysseus and what the author will make of that story.

In addition to the focus on Penelope, the author also highlights the character and personality of Telemachus, Odysseus’ troubled son, too young and gauche to be a hero like his father, and apparently lacking the intelligence of both his parents. The tale of Clytemnestra, killer of Agamemnon is also incorporated, a woman who does rule as a queen, to the disgust of her damaged children, Orestes and Electra.

The whole tale is narrated by the goddess Hera, and more gods, for example Athene, make significant appearances. In other recent novels in this genre, such contributions by the gods does not always work – but it does here. For the most part, the presentation of the gods enhances the narrative, as for example in Circe by Madeline Miller, although some work needs to be done on the silliness of Artemis.

This is an innovative and imaginative tale which largely respects the original by Homer.

Ithaca tells not the story of Odysseus, the poet-sung infamous journey, but that of Penelope and the women left behind on Ithaca, narrated by the goddess Hera, to whom the Queens of Greece are beloved, even as her power is so diminished that she must plot in the shadows to help them. Hera’s narrating voice is one of the strong elements driving this novel forwards, with a clear personality coming through in her voice, and the language is lyrical as well as full of bold sentiment. The story is interesting in that it focuses not merely on the elements of the original story of the suitors and Penelope’s ruse, but also cleverly weaves its own imaginative tale through this, with Penelope plotting behind the scenes to protect her island from raiding pirates with the help of only her women, and trying to protect Telemachus from his own foolhardy and boyish enthusiasm. It is as usual with these retellings, a bit over the top with the feminist retake - Hera does whine on quite a bit about how all her power was taken away from her by Zeus, for example, and I lose track of how many times women are referred to as stupid in order to get the point across that men take women for granted - eyeroll. As well written as this is, and with a distinctive voice narrating, I did also find it overly long and a bit tedious - maybe there have just been too many of these reimanginings, or not enough happened - I’m not sure.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Little, Brown for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Women are so often overlooked in the tales of heroes and legends - but in this story, the queens, mothers, wives and goddesses are front and centre around a world that disregards them and their power

Well. This surprised me, but in a good way. As an avid fan of Madeline Miller (especially of her book Circe, which shares some of the characters with Ithaca) I went into this thinking like ... no way this is gonna be as good as Circe. It won't even come close.
It did come extremely close.

In the first few chapters, it is not totally clear who the narrator is, who exactly tells us this tale of Penelope and the women of Ithaca, until she reveals herself as Hera. Yes, that Hera. Oh my God, I loved this so much. I think having a goddess as the narrator is so clever and I absolutely cannot stop gushing at how clever of a choice this was. Having Hera as a narrator is a step-up of the third person omnicient point of view, and it's amazing in every single way. Her lyrical way of telling the story contrasts perfectly with the almost childlike squabbles between the gods. It's so fascinating to see those hidden hands in the story: Hera whispering in Clytemnestra's ear, Athena sneakily guiding Telemachus, Artemis hunting and killing men at the side of the warrior women of Ithaca. And the way of narration, the writing, it just feels so very Greek mythology to me. It's so well done, and I have never read a book that reminded me so much of the actual Odyssey by Homer, while still being easy and fluent to read. Just ... the writing itself is absolute perfection.

Now, I was never the biggest fan of the Odyssey, mainly because I think Odysseus fucking sucks. Penelope was always and accessory to his annoyingness to me, so it was refreshing to see a book that focused on her. Odysseus thankfully isn't really in this book at all, he's just mentioned by Hera from time to time as having sex with Calypso once again, and of course, his presence hangs over the island like a vengeful ghost. I would've liked my boy Telemachus to be shown in a little bit more of a positive light (I would die for Telemachus), but it does make sense in the confines of this story to have him be a bit of an ass. He's a teenager going through puberty after all. Valid, I suppose. Penelope's character was definitely expanded from what she is usually depicted as (I especially loved her cleverly using her womanly problems to escape uncomfortable situations), but she still falls just a tiny bit flat.

I'm docking a star because at times, this book was really really really long, and considering that there is a second book coming, you really could've cut at least 100 pages, if not more. But I suppose that is also very Greek, no?

Hoot bloody hoot. Four stars. Can't wait for the next one.

Ever since my early high school 'Percy Jackson' days, I have been a little obsessed with ancient Greek myth retellings. The genre has experienced a boom in the last few years, especially retellings targeted at adults. These include 'The Song of Achilles' and 'Circe' by Madeliene Miller and Stephen Fry’s 'Troy', 'Mythos' and 'Heroes' collections. So when I saw 'Ithaca', I jumped at the chance to read it, and it did not disappoint.

'Ithaca' tells the story of Penelope, Clytemnestra and Elektra, the last Queens of Greece, during the fallout after the Trojan war. This is an interesting premise because in the original 'Odyssey', very little is said about Penelope. Her role in the story is limited to that of the dutiful wife refusing to marry the many suitors who come to her, weaving a shroud by day and unpicking it by night, waiting faithfully for her husband to return. For ten years. As a result of this limited information, Claire North had almost total creative licence over the plot of 'Ithaca'.

North uses this creative licence to explore a number of questions the original epics don’t answer. What happens when an entire demographic leaves a society, never to return? How does the day-to-day business change? Who fills the power void? How does the collective trauma of war affect a society? How does a society recover economically and socially? How long do the bonds of war really last?

In this version, Penelope’s suitors are little more than a political and economic inconvenience. They party and feast, draining the economy of Ithaca. Penelope doesn’t choose not to remarry because she has faith in Odysseus returning, though she certainly hopes he will, but instead is very aware of the political ramifications if she were to choose a suitor. This results in an eight-year long political stalemate after the fall of Troy, which is only broken when Ithaca is attacked by pirates. Penelope must find a way to defend Ithaca after all her soldiers and men of fighting age never returned from war. Simultaneously, queen Clytemnestra is on the run, hiding in Ithaca for the crime of killing her husband while her daughter, Elektra, is living in Penelope’s palace, her soldiers on the hunt for her mother.

I found the many facets of the plot incredibly engaging. Although the bones of this story are familiar, the added details, such as Penelope’s wit, the exploration of the role of the women in Ithaca and the relationship between queens overturned my expectations. The familiarity of Odysseus’s story enabled North to create what was predominantly a character study. The narrative was also predominantly well paced, though there was a section in the middle that felt unnecessarily slow.

I was further impressed by the clear and detailed research that went into the novel. North knew every aspect of the original myths and filled the story with subtle and not-so-subtle references to events that had already passed, myths occurring side-by-side and many of the more niche Greek stories. As a result, North’s Ithaca feels vivid and real. The stakes felt high, and it was easy to imagine the many places she mentions and follow the huge cast of characters.

One of the most striking elements of this novel was its prose and narration. The prose was beautiful and elegant, making it easy and enjoyable to read.

The novel was narrated from the point of view of the goddess Hera, an interesting choice. At first I was confused about this choice, seeing as Hera’s presence is limited in the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey', but it began to make sense as the focus of the novel zoomed in on the role of wives and queens in ancient Greece, presenting Hera as a fourth queen.

I enjoyed the way the novel highlighted Hera’s role in the Greek pantheon, giving her ambitions and personality, which she tended to lack in the original myths. There has been a recent cultural movement to re-examine ancient Greek mythological figures, who for a long time, were dismissed as evil, and I liked that Hera has been included here. This also served to emphasise the messages of the novel. In particular, the spotlight given to overlooked women, transforming them from shallow caricatures into multidimensional characters. This narrator’s perspective combined the character intimacy of first person point of view with Hera’s omniscience as a goddess, which brought in scenes and characters from all over Greece that would have been impossible if the perspective was limited to Penelope.

On the other hand, at many points this narration felt biased. Whilst I understand that to some extent Hera is meant to be an unreliable narrator, the story felt clouded by her jealousy and bitterness, often veering away from positive, empowering messages towards hating other women for ambition and success. Though this may be an accurate reflection of Hera’s mythological personality, it was limited to narrative overtones, and I felt that this removed some of the power of the plot, which revolves around more complex relationships between women.

Hera’s character also occasionally overshadowed Penelope, drawing the focus to her rather than the actual main character of the novel. However, this bothered me less than I would have expected because it felt more like world building and adding depth to mythology than losing focus. I also enjoyed this narrative frame as the strength of the perspective made me feel actively immersed in the world rather than a passive observer. It felt like I was watching events from a distance, but every so often, Hera, as the narrator, could intervene.

I mostly enjoyed the uniqueness of Hera’s narration, but North did seem to veer towards erasing or apologising for the less sympathetic aspects of Hera’s historical character. In one myth, Hera did quite literally throw her child, Hephaestus, off a cliff, and she caused Heracles’ insanity as punishment for the sins of his father.

The characterisation of others within the novel was excellent. Each character was introduced as they were portrayed in the original myths and then given new depth, motivations and flaws. Penelope in particular grew from a grieving pseudo-widow to an incredibly intelligent ruler, who used her subtlety and intellect to ensure her kingdom maintained its strength whilst retaining the facade of being merely the ‘wife of Odysseus’. Furthermore, despite her strength of character and intellect, she is still given emotional range, particularly in regards to her son whom she both loves and dislikes as a person. These complex emotions conflict and combine to propel the plot and create incredible depth of character.

Overall, 'Ithaca' was an amazing book and, with the exception of a few elements, I could not have enjoyed the experience more.

Final Rating: 4 stars.

Fantastic book, beautifully written. I loved this exploration of what was happening in Ithaca whilst Odysseus is on his way back from Troy. This book is so well done, I loved the perspective of Hera as she looks over the women of Ithaca and the three Queens of Greece. The concept of the story of the women using the fact they are overlooked is so well done and I loved all the characters, all motivations were explained and no character was reduced to a stereotype. I highly recommend this new Greek Myth Retelling

This is excellent. Truly excellent. There are a lot of feminist takes on the Iliad/Odyssey around at the moment, and North has some high bars to reach, but she manages it (after what I felt was a comparatively shaky beginning). A lovely take on what could have happened on Ithaca while Odysseus was away. I loved it.