Penelope's Daughter by Laurel Corona
Publisher: Berkley, 2010
Genre: Romance(ish)
Sub-genre: Historical
Rating: 4 1/2 pints of blood
I love the soft and pretty artwork, the colours, and the whole feel evoked here. It gives you a good idea of what you're getting in the book with cues as to genre, tone, and time period. Of course, the painting depicts Psyche entering Cupid's garden, which is specific enough it's a bit odd to use it for something entirely unrelated, but it is a beautiful piece of artwork and if you don't know the painting it would certainly be enough to draw attention from its place on the bookshelf.
Since it's Mythology Month, I went to the library to find some awesome novels based on myths. I knew fully well it would mean the month was heavy on fantasy novels, so when I found a book in the romance section about the daughter of Odysseus, I was all over that. The only issue is that when I got to reading it, I discovered this really isn't a romance novel. It's really more Xanthe's life story, a coming of age and a study of what life would have been like for the family left behind in the 20 years of Odysseus's adventures, especially for the women, limited as they were in a man's world. There is a love interest, but it's not their story, it's very much Xanthe's story.
Shortly after Odysseus left for the Trojan War, his wife Penelope discovered she was pregnant with his second child, a daughter. Both Xanthe and her brother Telemachus grow up in the shadow of a heroic father they've never known, and in Xanthe's case a father who doesn't know she exists. As children they are unaware of the politics surrounding their situation, but the older they grow, the greater the danger to them grows. The men in the area in pursuit of power will let nothing stand in the way of their ambitions, and if Penelope won't accept their suits, they'll quickly resort to murdering Telemachus or raping the barely pubescent Xanthe and forcing her into marriage.
To protect her daughter, Penelope sends Xanthe to Sparta, to be cared for by Helen (yes, the woman who was the catalyst for the Trojan war). While there, Xanthe blossoms into womanhood until a prophecy sends her back home. But will returning home mean freedom to live the life she wants, or having a set of shackles set to guarantee her misery?
Look, plotwise there's not much here to talk about. Penelope's Daughter meanders, and there really isn't a coherent storyline to take you from point A to point B. This is a book that's all about the journey, the exploration of Xanthe, of her world and the people around her. There are an awful lot of legendary characters to play with here, to humanize and try to understand in a way Homer never did. This is the story of the female characters, of the lives they created with the limited options available to them.
Which is not to say that this is a boring book or something not worth reading. On the contrary, I enjoyed it very much. Enough so, actually, that after I finished it and had started on the next book, I was still in "excited to read this" mode and found myself vaguely disappointed every time I had the opportunity to read a few pages more because I remembered that oh yeah, I'd already finished Penelope's Daughter. It's such a bittersweet thing when you read a book that you enjoy enough it actually influences your reading experience for the next book.
There were a few overtly sexual moments that made me a little uncomfortable, since they didn't involve informed consent, but none of the characters seemed bothered by it, and both titchy moments were expressly part of a religious ceremony, so your mileage may vary.
You'll note here how little I've talked about Xanthe's romantic interest. He's not completely insignificant, but there's a pretty good list of characters who are given more time and depth than Peisistratus (whose name I just had to go look up). Since the book starts with Xanthe's childhood and ends when she's around 20, he's not introduced until very late in the story, and while her excitement over him is obvious, there isn't a lot of emphasis placed on romantic feelings between the two of them.
So really not a romance, but there are so many other characters to meet I was too busy to be disappointed by my own misled expectations. This is what I occasionally call a "visiting" book, the type of book you re-read just so you can stop in and visit with the characters again. And you can bet I'll be doing so.
Penelope's Daughter is available in trade paperback
.
Genre: Romance(ish)
Sub-genre: Historical
Rating: 4 1/2 pints of blood
I love the soft and pretty artwork, the colours, and the whole feel evoked here. It gives you a good idea of what you're getting in the book with cues as to genre, tone, and time period. Of course, the painting depicts Psyche entering Cupid's garden, which is specific enough it's a bit odd to use it for something entirely unrelated, but it is a beautiful piece of artwork and if you don't know the painting it would certainly be enough to draw attention from its place on the bookshelf.
Since it's Mythology Month, I went to the library to find some awesome novels based on myths. I knew fully well it would mean the month was heavy on fantasy novels, so when I found a book in the romance section about the daughter of Odysseus, I was all over that. The only issue is that when I got to reading it, I discovered this really isn't a romance novel. It's really more Xanthe's life story, a coming of age and a study of what life would have been like for the family left behind in the 20 years of Odysseus's adventures, especially for the women, limited as they were in a man's world. There is a love interest, but it's not their story, it's very much Xanthe's story.
Shortly after Odysseus left for the Trojan War, his wife Penelope discovered she was pregnant with his second child, a daughter. Both Xanthe and her brother Telemachus grow up in the shadow of a heroic father they've never known, and in Xanthe's case a father who doesn't know she exists. As children they are unaware of the politics surrounding their situation, but the older they grow, the greater the danger to them grows. The men in the area in pursuit of power will let nothing stand in the way of their ambitions, and if Penelope won't accept their suits, they'll quickly resort to murdering Telemachus or raping the barely pubescent Xanthe and forcing her into marriage.
To protect her daughter, Penelope sends Xanthe to Sparta, to be cared for by Helen (yes, the woman who was the catalyst for the Trojan war). While there, Xanthe blossoms into womanhood until a prophecy sends her back home. But will returning home mean freedom to live the life she wants, or having a set of shackles set to guarantee her misery?
Look, plotwise there's not much here to talk about. Penelope's Daughter meanders, and there really isn't a coherent storyline to take you from point A to point B. This is a book that's all about the journey, the exploration of Xanthe, of her world and the people around her. There are an awful lot of legendary characters to play with here, to humanize and try to understand in a way Homer never did. This is the story of the female characters, of the lives they created with the limited options available to them.
Which is not to say that this is a boring book or something not worth reading. On the contrary, I enjoyed it very much. Enough so, actually, that after I finished it and had started on the next book, I was still in "excited to read this" mode and found myself vaguely disappointed every time I had the opportunity to read a few pages more because I remembered that oh yeah, I'd already finished Penelope's Daughter. It's such a bittersweet thing when you read a book that you enjoy enough it actually influences your reading experience for the next book.
There were a few overtly sexual moments that made me a little uncomfortable, since they didn't involve informed consent, but none of the characters seemed bothered by it, and both titchy moments were expressly part of a religious ceremony, so your mileage may vary.
You'll note here how little I've talked about Xanthe's romantic interest. He's not completely insignificant, but there's a pretty good list of characters who are given more time and depth than Peisistratus (whose name I just had to go look up). Since the book starts with Xanthe's childhood and ends when she's around 20, he's not introduced until very late in the story, and while her excitement over him is obvious, there isn't a lot of emphasis placed on romantic feelings between the two of them.
So really not a romance, but there are so many other characters to meet I was too busy to be disappointed by my own misled expectations. This is what I occasionally call a "visiting" book, the type of book you re-read just so you can stop in and visit with the characters again. And you can bet I'll be doing so.
Penelope's Daughter is available in trade paperback
.