Member Review

A story beginning at the very end of the siege of Troy, this book deals with the aftermath of 10 years of battle as the victorious Greek leaders wait for the wind to change so they can sail home.
Meanwhile, the captive women of Troy are enduring their own storms. Forced to witness the brutal slaying of their beloved fathers, brothers, lovers, husbands and even infant sons, once proud women like Hecuba, Cassandra and Andromache have been parcelled out as spoils of war among brave but brutal men like Odysseus, Agamemnon and Pyrrhus, son of the great Achilles.
Told through the eyes of Briseis, the late Achilles' concubine-slave, this story explores the women's resilience amid their struggle to survive the trials they've endured, including the loss of their freedom. But though their lives and bodies are broken, their spirits remain whole as they adapt to a very different life.
Homer's once heroic leaders have their own demons, too. They're as much slaves as the women, captive to their own fears and self-doubt.
I was utterly engrossed by this retelling of just one aspect of the Trojan war. With rich descriptive writing, the author captures the atmosphere of classical times, with its battles among men, gods and demi-gods, yet makes them accessible to the modern reader through the portrayal of men and women no different to ourselves in their hopes, fears and dreams of escaping the shadows of Troy's black and broken towers.