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 In fact, it is because of the pacing that so many people have admitted to giving up on the book a third of the way through; those readers that slogged through the first half of the book will tell you t hat things become quite awesome in the second half of the story. Forget the songs of Apollo, or the proud declarations of haughty Athena. Their poems only glorify themselves. Listen to my voice: I who have been stripped of honour, of power and of that fire that should be mine, I who have nothing to lose that the poets have not already taken from me, only I will tell you the truth. I, who part the veil of time, will tell those stories that only the women tell. So follow me to the western isles, to the halls of Odysseus, and listen. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Claire North and Redhook Books for this ARC. Ithaca will be out September 6th, 2022 **

With its well-written, fluid and elegant prose, even pacing throughout the novel, and themes of feminism, survival and loyalty Claire North’s Ithaca is an engaging read that I would recommend to fans of Greek Mythology and those fond of feminist retellings. I eagerly look forward to reading the next two books in this trilogy. The only weakness of her work are the numerous digressions that keep killing the momentum of her story. Teodora’s father was sixteen when he wed her mother; sev- enteen when he went to Troy. He left behind his bow, being a weapon for cowards, a few pots and a shawl his mother made. Last winter Teodora killed a lynx that was as hungry as her, the knife with which she would otherwise gut fish driven into its snapping jaw, and has few qualms about making snap decisions when death is on the line.

Publication Order of Anthologies

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.

The story is narrated by Hera, queen of the gods. She has a biting tongue but she's a gifted storyteller. Her narration resembles omniscient narration but at times she starts to rage about her position among gods, her conflict with Athena, or pathetic men. Because she's a goddess, she's able to comment on Penelope's thoughts and actions, as well as those around her. She even mentions what is going on with Odysseus and some of the other famous faces of Troy. It's all fun and full of ATTITUDE. And delightfully feminist. Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love. Did I mention this is part of a series? Because I didn’t realize that for some reason until I reached the end. I might know where the story is going, but I still want the next book immediately. Alas, The House of Odysseus is at sea until May of 2023.If you cannot seem to find much online about Claire North, the reason is fairly obvious: Claire North is actually a pseudonym for Catherine Webb. While many an author creates a pseudonym to create distance between their personal lives and their literary efforts, Catherine Webb was already an acclaimed author before she created the Claire North Persona. 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.

Yet, when reaching the end of the novel we see that it is more than it seems, it’s an exploration of desire and how it shapes each character, for good or bad, it’s a reflection on beauty, love, grief and forgiveness. North is an author who gives her readers thought-provoking tales with a wonderful feminist twist, and House of Odysseus is no exception. North brings a powerful, fresh, and unflinching voice to ancient myth. Breathtaking."— Jennifer Saint, author ofAriadne I don't want to say too much about the plot, because seeing what North chooses to focus on was surprising for me, but the problem of the suitors looms large, and is explored in a way that feels completely unique to me. And having Hera, frustrated and overlooked and put-upon Hera, be the way into this story ends up feeling extremely inspired. Definitely recommend, and I'm so glad there are going to be two more books in this series. 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. The story is told from the goddess Hera’s slightly detached perspective. Snarky and often acerbic, Hera brings a unique voice and point of view to the story, and her caustic wit spotlights the inequities between men and women regardless of station, as well as the injustices women face for duty, honor, and the patriarchy.Above the village, a torch gutters upon the cliffs. It has been only briefly raised, a guide in the night to show these raiders where to go. Now its work is done, and the figure who has held it retreats down the hard stone path towards the inland slumber of the isle, feeling no compunction to stay and witness his work. It would be fair of this fellow to think himself unseen, save by his allies – the hour is late and the hot day had faded to a cool, slumbering dark, suitable for vast snoring and dreamless sleep. How little he knows. Having the goddess narrating it all has advantages, like a bird's eye view of the entirety of Ithaca and beyond, and that she can tell the inner doings as well as the behaviour of everyone on the island, noble and slave, which wouldn't be possible with a sole, human POV. Hera sees everything and everyone, Hera knows everything and describes everyone, it's an all-seeing eye that plunges you into the story from an advantageous position of observer that won't miss anything. But, this very style of POV has the disadvantage that for its very nature keeps you at arm's length and detached from the characters. Medon," Penelope tuts, "what a foolish question. You hide them in precisely the same way you hide your success as a merchant, your skill with agriculture, your wisdom at politics and your innate cutting wit. You hide them as women."