The Last Song of Penelope

By: Claire North

Narrated by: Catrin Walker-Booth

The final book in multi-award-winning author Claire North's Songs of Penelope Trilogy, a daring reimagining that breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. Perfect for fans of The Odyssey and Circe.

"North brings a powerful, fresh, and unflinching voice to ancient myth. Breathtaking." —Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

Many years ago, Odysseus sailed to war and never returned. For twenty years his wife Penelope and the women of Ithaca have guarded the isle against suitors and rival kings. But peace cannot be kept forever, and the balance of power is about to break ...

A beggar has arrived at the Palace. Salt-crusted and ocean-battered, he is scorned by the suitors—but Penelope recognises in him something terrible: her husband, Odysseus, returned at last. Yet this Odysseus is no hero. By returning to the island in disguise, he is not merely plotting his revenge against the suitors—vengeance that will spark a civil war—but he's testing the loyalty of his queen. Has she been faithful to him all these years? And how much blood is Odysseus willing to shed to be sure?

The song of Penelope is ending, and the song of Odysseus must ring through Ithaca's halls. But first, Penelope must use all her cunning to win a war for the fate of the island and keep her family alive, whatever the cost ...

Critic reviews

“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 (UK) on Ithaca

"A dazzlingly complex, twisting tale....Claire North breathes life into a cast of mythical characters from goddesses to queens to slave-women in a richly nuanced portrayal of human life."—Jennifer Saint on Ithaca

"Richly poetic and does justice to the very real and frustrating world of women forced to survive within a world of patriarchy, assault, and violence. This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history who had to hide their pain behind their eyes and their skills, capabilities, and power behind false incompetence and ignorance."—Booklist (starred review) on Ithaca

“Claire North has the most original voice - every page is an absolute joy. She had me laughing out loud (Aphrodite is such a wicked, irreverent narrator) and I was also very moved by her version of the Elektra/Orestes myth. I loved Ithaca but House of Odysseus is even better - Penelope is proving to be an outstanding epic hero in her own right. The world building is sensational. I cannot wait for the final book in the series!”—Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den on House of Odysseus

"There is something fateful about The Songs of Penelope trilogy: that this voice would come to this story, a pairing so perfect it was worth waiting a few thousand years for. North's writing is evocative, vibrant and delightfully witty - capable of rending your heart in two or clutching at your sides with only a few words from a scathing and surprisingly ardent godly-narrator."—Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen on House of Odysseus

"North's novels are triumphs of conception and execution... Her prose here is elegant, poetic, and gorgeously descriptive... This is a stunning novel."—Booklist on House of Odysseus

"The queen of the gods narrates a crackling tale of secrets and intrigue...taut, suspenseful, and full of Hera’s delightfully dyspeptic attitude. A thoroughly enjoyable exploration of Penelope’s side of the ancient story."—Kirkus on Ithaca

"Like Penelope at her loom, North weaves and unweaves, teasing out the threads of Homeric myth to recombine them into something unique, wonderful, and urgently contemporary."—M. R. Carey on Ithaca

"A gorgeous, emotive feminist retelling of the classic Greek myth of Penelope."—Belfast Telegraph (UK) on Ithaca

Having just lost my daughter, This series was a great comfort

The brilliance and compassion of Penelope transformed Odesseus. Laertes was vividly drawn. The concepts of honor, forgiveness, courage were explored with graceful expression. I miss Ithaca already!

Excellent book and series conclusion

This is a beautifully written story. The narrator is excellent and perfectly suited to the book’s narrative voice.

Fantastic!

Everything thing I could wish for! Thank you Claire North! The story, narration and overall series experience were so incredible!!!

Chapter 35 and on were fantastically written

This excerpt…. “Penelope hates this man.
She knows it inside her, with every pulse of her heart.
She hates him.
She also wants to cry.
She wants him to hold her tight.
She wants to weep into his chest.
She cannot understand how she can feel so many thing, all at the same time. Thought perhaps she had mastered the art of feeling none of them at all. Is a little disappointed to find that not so, that the feeling of an empty heart was perhaps just a disguise for the truth of a heart too full to comprehend.”

Fantastic series

I love this series. The use of goddesses as narrators is so imaginative and well done. I recommend it to everyone I know.