These Great Athenians

Valentine Carter’s fierce debut gives voice to the mostly forgotten and maligned female characters of Homer’s epic The Odyssey. It is a celebratory ode to those who survive within and outside of gender norms.

Faithful Penelope waits for her husband’s return as she weaves a shroud that foretells her doom, Scylla once a beautiful nymph turned monster prowls the seas hungry for flesh, while the witch Circe falls for a man who will leave her. Weaving together their stories and poetic voices, this subtly moving and playful verse novel questions how do those without a voice find freedom within the world of men?