The Last Song of Penelope

Claire North's final novel in the Songs of Penelope trilogy is a powerful, fresh, and unflinching voice to ancient myth. It tells the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. The beggar has arrived at the Palace, and Penelope recognizes him as her husband, Odysseus, returned at last. However, this Odysseus is no hero, and he is testing the loyalty of his queen. Penelope must use all her cunning to win a war for the fate of the island and keep her family alive, whatever the cost. The book has received praise for its darkly fascinating, raw, and breathtaking narrative, as well as its poetic language. It is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece and a love letter to the silenced women of history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2024
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Claire North's "Songs of Penelope" trilogy concludes with "The Beauty of the Wife," a gripping tale that breathes life into ancient myth. This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. 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, scorned by the suitors but recognized by Penelope as 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 but 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. "The Beauty of the Wife" is a powerful, fresh, and unflinching voice to ancient myth. It is a darkly fascinating, raw, and breathtaking tale that breathes life into ancient myth. It is a richly poetic plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history. It is everything I've wanted in a retell.

Weight: 622g
Dimension: 240 x 164 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780356516110