Helpful Score: 1
Another entry into the genre of stories from the point of view of 'forgotten women.'
This novel proposes that when Odysseus left Ithaca, his wife Penelope was pregnant with a daughter never mentioned by Homer. Corona shines a light on what life may have been like for Xanthe, growing up in a difficult situation, never knowing her legendary father.
Occasionally, I found details to be unconvincing for the time period, but overall this was an absorbing book, which brings to life the secret lives of ancient Greek women. Xanthe's story is more interesting and entertaining than many books of this type that I've read. A pitfall in writing this sort of thing is that oftentimes there's a reason that history didn't record the deeds of obscure people: they weren't that exciting. But this tale has plenty of adventure and tension.
This novel proposes that when Odysseus left Ithaca, his wife Penelope was pregnant with a daughter never mentioned by Homer. Corona shines a light on what life may have been like for Xanthe, growing up in a difficult situation, never knowing her legendary father.
Occasionally, I found details to be unconvincing for the time period, but overall this was an absorbing book, which brings to life the secret lives of ancient Greek women. Xanthe's story is more interesting and entertaining than many books of this type that I've read. A pitfall in writing this sort of thing is that oftentimes there's a reason that history didn't record the deeds of obscure people: they weren't that exciting. But this tale has plenty of adventure and tension.
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