A Thousand Ships

A Novel

By: Natalie Haynes

Narrated by: Natalie Haynes

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

An NPR Best Book of the Year

“Gorgeous.... With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War.”—Madeline Miller, author of Circe

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences—for fans of Madeline Miller.

This is the women’s war, just as much as it is the men’s. They have waited long enough for their turn . . .

This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . .

In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen.

From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.

A woman’s epic, powerfully imbued with new life, A Thousand Ships puts the women, girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world’s great tale ever told.

Exceptional

The story and narration are just stunning. I'm familiar with the mythology, most of it very depressing for the female characters, and the storyline does not vary. If you're prepared for that, you'll be blown away by what the author does with it. The writing is beautiful. The deep dives into the characters and the details about the situations are powerful and overwhelming and haunting.. Highly recommended.

Completely fascinating

As a man, I find this retelling of the stories from the viewpoint of the women absolutely engrossing. You don't need any familiarity with the story of Troy's fall to understand the stories, but the juxtaposition of the way this story unfolds to the traditional tells certainly delivers a further level of delight. I was completely enthralled with Penelope's letters - wonderfully snarky, yet restrained. The author has delivered a masterpiece!

it made me so proud to be a woman

I had listened to cersei and to song of Achilles and fallen in love with them. that author recommended this book and I can never thank her enough. I wish I could start them all three over again for the very first time. this one especially covered so much ground for those of us who are the female of the species and have ever felt the least bit left out of History. I simply cannot recommend this book enough. it is absolutely enthralling.

imaginative and entertaining

I have always enjoyed Greek mythology and Homer's epics. This spin on the familiar stories was superb. My favorite chapters overall were Penelope's letters to her wandering husband. They advanced the story nicely. The funniest episode absolutely was the bickering between Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera over the golden apple at the wedding...hilarious!! I would highly recommend this book.

Utterly fantastic!

Completely engrossing. Brilliant storytelling. I loved having the author read her own material. I’m going to go back for another listen.