Ithaca

By: Claire North

Narrated by: Catrin Walker-Booth

Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

From the multi-award-winning author Claire North comes 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. It’s time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . . .

Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom.

Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door.

No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus' empty throne—not yet. But everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, and Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war. Only through cunning, wit, and her trusted circle of maids, can she maintain the tenuous peace needed for the kingdom to survive.

This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca’s shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women—and their goddesses—that will change the course of the world.

©2022 Claire North (P)2022 Redhook

Critic reviews

"Claire North brings a powerful, fresh, and unflinching voice to ancient myth—darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking."—Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

"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, author of The Girl with All the Gifts

Brilliant tetelling of Penelope'sstruggle

Told through Hera, this story records the ever repeating victimization of women and clodish behavior of ancient patriarchy in Greece. Using the story of Penelope, wife of Odysseus we are given new characterizations of Agememnon, Clytemnestra, Electra, Orestes. additionally, we are treated to stories of women who lived deep internal inner lives as they struggled to gain strength and a voice withinin a world that considered females as having low value.

Incredible

Loved everything about this book and its narration! Thank you!! I don’t know what else to say

This isn't the Claire North you are looking for.

I love Claire but this story was just dull. I believe it was 18 chapters before anything of note actually happened, and then it was pretty small. I put this book away without finishing it more than once before finally managing to push through. I'm left wishing I hadn't spent the time. almost everything else I've read or listened to by the author has been excellent, so this was a particular disappointment.

Women Heroes

At first this book was hard to follow and the authors voice put me to sleep. However, I kept with it and did enjoy it overall.

I loved listening to this book.

I’m a sucker for the retelling of myths, and I love the retelling from a woman’s perspective. I enjoyed the story telling and the twists and turns. I would have liked it if the storyline leaned into the female fighters more. The narrator was the best!

Just okay

While I love retellings of Greek mythology, I found this story difficult to follow at times. Unnecessary details and characters took away from the storyline.

Incredible story & narration

This book is now one of my favorites. I can’t wait for the next one!!

The Ending Made it Worth It!

I really struggled to get into this book initially. I didn’t quiet understand Hera’s perspective, so that threw me off. Towards the middle it started to get into a grove and I ended up enjoying it. I loved the parts with sarcastic humor - this book showed me a new side to Hera that is never told! She’s always villain, so it was a nice change of pace to see another side of her!

Elegant, engaging writing!

Delves into the life of Penelope while she weaves and unweaves and the cohort of strong women around her. Wonderful take on this less explored character.

Brilliant retelling from the point of view a the goddess Hera and the queen Penelope

This is a fantastically well written and well read novel. CAN’T WAIT for the sequel! Claire North has developed the characters from mythology in ways that make them relatable, funny at times, proud and moving in their parrying of events. Never have I read anything that made the relationship between the gods of the Greek pantheon and the humans of Greece more intelligible and believable — and thought provoking. I loved it!