The Last Song of Penelope

“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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"A gorgeous, emotive feminist retelling of the classic Greek myth of Penelope."

"In House of Odysseus, Claire North has done it again. A superb sequel to the brilliant Ithaca, this is another clever, vivid reimagining of myth told in her indomitable style - with wit, attention to detail and exquisite characterization. The narrative voice of Aphrodite is absolute perfection, lending humor and tender insight to a high-stakes, thrilling game of political cat-and-mouse between Penelope and Menelaus as they battle for the fate of the island. Ancient myth becomes real and urgent, the world of the divine and the mortal expertly balanced throughout the unfolding twists and turns that will leave the reader eagerly anticipating the final installment of the trilogy!"

“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!”

"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."

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