Divine Might

Goddesses in Greek Myth

By: Natalie Haynes

Narrated by: Natalie Haynes

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Natalie Haynes returns to the world of ancient Greek myth in this scintillating follow-up to Pandora’s Jar.

Few writers today have reshaped our view of the ancient Greek myths more than revered bestselling author Natalie Haynes. Divine Might is a female-centered look at Olympus and the Furies, focusing on the goddesses whose prowess, passions, jealousies, and desires rival those of their male kin, including:

• Athene, who sprang fully formed from her father’s brow (giving Zeus a killer headache in the process), the goddess of war and provider of wise counsel.
• Aphrodite, born of the foam (and sperm released from a Titan’s castrated testicles), the most beautiful of all the Olympian goddesses, the epitome of love who dispenses desire and inspires longing—yet harbors a fearsome vengeful side, doling out brutal punishments to those who displease her.
• Hera, Zeus’s long-suffering wife, whose jealousy born of his repeated dalliances with mortals, nymphs, and other goddesses, leads her to wreak elaborate and often painful revenge on those she believes have wronged her. (Well, wouldn’t you?)
• Demeter, goddess of the harvest and mother of Persephone; Artemis, the hunter and goddess of wild spaces; the Muses, the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory; and Hestia, goddess of domesticity and sacrificial fire.

Infused with Haynes’s engaging charm and irrepressible wit, Divine Might is a refreshing take on the legends and stories we thought we knew.

©2024 Natalie Haynes (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

An amazing journey through the Goddesses we thought we knew.

Haynes’ research is thorough, her viewpoint strikes the perfect balance between contemporary attitudes and the Bronze Age and then Classical Greek contexts. She reads her work with wit and clear expression. I have recommended this book to all my friends.

Natalie Haynes makes me feel cool about being a Greek mythology nerd.

As always, Natalie Haynes delivers a well-researched work that I proceed to devour immediately. Could I have done without the entire plot of a Woody Allen film in the Aphrodite section? Yes. Would it keep me from recommending this book and/or listening again myself? That would be a resounding no.

Always a pleasure. I will listen to every word this woman ever writes - especially if she’s the one performing it.

Witty, informed, and informative

I love her writing and her take on greek myths is so refreshing and funny! The way she pulls multiple art, literature, and cinematic examples and stories about the people she talks about is incredibly informative and intriguing.

A+ sequel to “Pandora’s Jar”

A stupendous sequel focusing on female Greek gods. Laugh out loud funny at times. Wonderfully told by the author.

All the rumors are true

Natalie Haynes does it again. Another splendid dive into the women of Greek Mythology. Thoroughly researched and delivered with humor and compassion. I love Natalie’s up to date knowledge of pop culture and how we continue to grapple with and make sense of the Greek pantheon. Natalie is a tremendous voice actor as well and does not disappoint in her narration of this book.

Natalie Haynes does it again!

I can't even express how much I enjoy this author's books, performances, and especially the wit used to convey the stories! She breaks down her subjects into modern language we can all understand while adding her fantastic spin and sense of humor. I have devoured just about every book she's ever written and this was no exception. Highly recommend!

History with humor

Loved this latest from Natalie Haynes. She writes intelligently, interestingly and with humor. I have always loved reading mythology and studying the ancient history that created it. Women have been victimized, abused or belittled throughout history, despite being an integral part of it. Ms. Haynes does a fantastic job of recognizing this and bringing women into the conversation! I always enjoy reading her books, and her narration is always great to listen to as she, of course, knows her text well, and she brings plenty of expression to its presentation! If you love mythology and ancient history, this book is worth a listen.

Incredibly Knowledgeable and Well Written

This comes as a surprise to no one who has followed me for any amount of time that I gave yet another of Natalie Haynes' books five stars. I just love her take on Greek myth and the implications it has had on modern society. I also really enjoy how she dives into the feminist side of Greek myth and explores sides of stories that weren't explored widely.

This book is an exploration of all of the major goddesses, their personalities, stories centering them, and of course, how their male counterparts affected them and how they are perceived. Their misrepresentation, especially in modern society, was interesting to read about when compared to what they would have been seen as in ancient Greece.

After reading this book, I think my favorite goddess may very well be Hestia. Her quite strength and warmth were really explored in this and while she may not be in many tales, she is always mentioned at least once. Her importance has really been down-played over time.

Overall, this was an incredibly knowledgeable and well written non-fiction book and it of course will not be the last book I pick up from Natalie Haynes. She is now one of my favorite authors and I have loved all of the books I've read by her. I can't wait for more.

Good listen

I was really excited to read this because I loved Pandora’s Jar (I have read all her books and loved them). Although I did enjoy this book, it was not easy to connect with. I never forgot who the star of the chapter was in Pandora’s Jar; however, there was an overload of info in this one. Things didn’t connect as well and seemed to be a bit of a stretch. If you like her style, I would still recommend it. I just didn’t connect with it.

Natalie Hayes Shines again

As usual, Ms Hayes produces something compelling and scholarly as well as entertaining.
An enjoyable voice that keeps your attention.