The Heroines (UK) / Phaedra (US)
In this retelling of Greek myths, Phaedra is the daughter of King Minos on the civilised island of Crete, where they are visited by Theseus from the far less civilised Athens. Theseus slays the Minotaur, a half-man, half-beast lurking in a labyrinth, and is due to receive Phaedra’s sister Ariadne as his queen as reward. However, Ariadne has vanished, so Phaedra is forced to take her place.
Suspicious of her sister’s disappearance, Phaedra gets to Athens only for Theseus to ignore her. She is unsure of her feelings for her stepson Hippolytus but is aware of gossip around them so befriends the women of the court, including Medea, who has slain her children.
Things rapidly spiral out of control, so Phaedra decides to take matters in her own hands, demanding a public trial for justice. Can she convince the all-male jury of her version of terrible events, or will her voice be drowned out?
The novel is written from many points of view, and because of that I felt removed from the main character, especially when one very important moment isn’t in Phaedra’s voice. It’s only at the end, after Phaedra has faced trial, that she starts to become more rounded and believable. However, there are interesting interpretations of various myths, debates about the rules of kingship versus a newly rising idea of democracy, political machinations, and the roles of women and children. One for fans of Madeline Miller.
