its a captivating feminist retelling of Penelope's story from Greek mythology. The audiobook format brought the narration to life, with Hera's perspective adding depth and intrigue. Despite initial genre shift concerns, North's venture into mythology is a success, maintaining her trademark worldbuilding and character development. The novel vividly portrays Penelope's struggles ruling Ithaca during Odysseus's absence, with feminist commentary and strong character exploration. While Hera's narration occasionally overshadows Penelope, the blend of humor and empowerment makes "Ithaca" a compelling read. Overall, it's a solid four-star book that breathes new life into ancient legends, perfect for fans of Greek mythology and feminist retellings.

This was quite a funny spin on the myth of the Oddessy! I loved that Penelope was the center of this! A forsure read for any Greek Mythology fan!

Audio review: Narrator was clear and easy to engage with.





Main review: I think I might have Greek myth retelling fatigue. This is compounded by the fact that some appear to be of the 'feminist retelling' variety where 'feminist' means tearing all the male characters down in order to make the women - who are not invested with good character development - look stronger by comparison. I loathe this strategy. Anyway, North does not do this and nor does she pull punches about the inequality between genders at the time. Her writing is clear and lovely, easy to follow. The reason this is more 3.5 stars for me than 4 stars is that her choice of narrator - the goddess Hera - while original, holds the reader at a distance. I never really got in any of the many characters heads and the narrative held me at arms length. I don't really want to invoke the shade of Marion Zimmer Bradley but I've still not found a 'feminist' Greek myth retelling that equals the Firebrand. So there it is. I clearly want the historical fantasy element to be the dominant one. That said, this is a good book and a promising start to the series.

I was really looking forward to this audiobook because it was about Odysseus’s wife, Penelope, on whom very little is written about. However, I did not like how the narrator was the goddess Hera. It felt out of place. I would have enjoying more if it was from Penelope’s perspective because she is rarely given a voice in literature. I did think the audiobook narrator told the story very well. She was very expressive. Her voice was very clear and rich. I enjoyed the audiobook better than the book, I recommend this for fans of Claire Heywood, Kerry Greenwood, and Natalie Haynes!

I'm a sucker for any kind of retelling, even more so for Greek Mythology ones. So I was of course overjoyed to start this book and I really wanted to like it. But what a disappointment!
It was so boring ; the pace was (too) slow (for me) ; I wasn't engaged at all in the story and didn't really care for any of the charatcters.
And reading the book was putting me in a reading slump, so I prefered to stop at 26%.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the Audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca's shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women, and their goddesses, that will change the course of the world.

This was such an entertaining take on the classic Greek mythology of The Odyssey. I really loved listening to this story as an audiobook, and found the narrato, Catrin Walker-Booth to be a great choice.

*many thanks to Redhook and Hachette Audio for the gifted copy for review

ITHACA by Claire North is a retelling of the Odyssey but instead of following Odysseus, we get a glimpse into the lives of those he left behind while off galavanting on his quest. It has been 17 years since Odysseus left and as suspicion mounts that he has perished, his wife Penelope must carefully elude and delay suitors as they circle around Ithaca like sharks.

The story is narrated by Hera, queen of the Greek gods, and mostly focuses on Penelope, Clytemnestra (Helen of Troy's twin), and Elektra (Clytemnestra's daughter). I absolutely loved Hera's (North's) storytelling style fused with biting wit and quite frankly the most passages about farts than I ever expected in a book retelling a Greek myth.😂

I gobbled this story up and listening to the audio narrated by Catrin Walker-Booth was a real treat with her lovely cadence and the perfect non-chalance for Hera's voice.

I cannot get enough of these retellings from the female perspective! I would highly recommend this book if you like Greek myths, retellings, saucy and conniving characters, and generally seeing another potential perspective from the great myths.

Have you read any awesome feminist retellings lately?

Thank you to @netgalley, @hatchetteaudio and the author for the audio ARC.

This was a really entertaining look at the lives of the women left behind on Ithaca while Odysseus went off the fight the Trojan War and get lost on his way home. Told from the perspective of Hera, who had a really sarcastic and sassy tone which I really appreciated, we see the machinations of Penelope as she tries to fend off the various suitors aiming for her hand. I loved the pacing of the book, with the first part focusing on the day to day of the women and then moving into the arrival of Electra as she looks for her mother. The plot was intriguing throughout and the characters were really fascinating. All in all, a very good re-imagining and I will read the next installment with great pleasure.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was very good for this piece. I think I'm really enjoying all of the recent literature with greek myths from new points of view. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

3.5/5
Not my favourite rendition of Greek myth, but a solid one nevertheless. I cannot get enough of Penelope's story, and North truly does her justice. I enjoyed what the story tried to do in new and refreshing ways with this story, but I found the constant mentions of sexual violence to leave a sour taste in my mouth (I understand North was likely trying to show how trivial such a thing was in the society she writes about, and yet I still cannot help but ask myself "is this a necessary thing for modern audiences to be put through when reading feminist approaches to these myths?"; for many, the answer may be yes; for me, I could've done without.
Alas, I still look forward to reading more of North's work because I found this to be a compelling introduction to it. The narration in particular also made this story particularly compelling, so extra points for that.

This was a really well done book. I enjoyed following Penelope's story because we often don't get to follow the women. The narrator did a great job with this book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I think it’s abundantly apparent to all that follow me that I love a good mythological retelling and Ithaca by Claire North is no exception!

This is the first book in the Songs of Penelope trilogy and is told through the eyes of Hera, queen of the gods and protector of women.

I loved seeing Penelope and the other women through Hera’s eyes. She speaks of the women so fondly, just like a mother would. We see their actions through her softened gaze and we experience Hera’s pride in their strength and sorrow in their failures or misfortune.

Ithaca really showcases how hard it would have been for Penelope to keep this land and her solitary title, especially when nobody was sure if Odysseus was still alive after a number of years. Also, how hardy the women, children, and elderly were, as they were the bulk of what made up Ithaca once all the men went to war. Though there were struggles, attacks, and ill intent aplenty, Penelope did a fantastic job providing for her people under the circumstances. Odysseus gets all of the glory while Penelope kept his land and people as safe as she could whilst he went on his adventures, committing adultery and seeking his own fame.

Claire North writes with a gilded tongue, the prose seems decadent but entirely unpretentious at the same time.

The narrator, Cardin Walker-Booth, speaks with a lushness that captures the elegance of the time period.

The only hitch in my reading was that at moments, the pacing could be a bit slow, but it was usually paced very well. My audiobook kept glitching, usually right when I wanted to get through those slow parts. All in all, it was a wonderful experience, and those things didn’t hamper the full effect of the novel.

Thank you to Orbit /Redhook and Hachette Audio for taking me along for the ride!

As a Greek mythology lover, I knew I had to pick up this book. And I didn´t leave disappointed. I´ve read a couple books about this theme, but this one felt different and fresh. Penelope´s perspetive was indeed the highlight of the book, we really get a deep dive into her thoughts and actions regarding Ithaca and how she stands as a ruler. I also liked Electra´s appearance, another favorite myth of mine. This was overall a great book with countless strong characters, offering new views of them to readers. The narrator was picked perfectly as well. She was captivating and delivered every line in the best way possible. My thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In a world where we only hear the stories of the brave and wise men and the gods that they worship, it's easy to forget that its women who raise these men into adulthood and these women shape the culture and life of ancient Greece. Told from the perspective of Hera the queen of the gods, as she watches over Penelope struggling to run a kingdom of Ithaca, without appearing to run the kingdom of Ithaca. Not only is she a shrewd and savvy business woman, and brilliant diplomat, while also pretending to be nothing but a lonely widow. Hera guides us through Penelope navigating awful men bent on replacing her husband, while a band of pirates attacks the Ithaca repeatedly. This is ideal for anyone who has an interests in Ancient Greece and the relationships between the ancient gods and humans.

Another great addition to the growing cadre of feminist Greek retellings that focus on highlighting the women's POV from all sorts of traditionally male stories. This book featured Penelope of Ithaca, a lesser know woman in Greek mythology for me. I really enjoyed the narration by Catrin Walker-Booth. The first book in what looks like a new series, this is perfect for fans of Circe or Ariadne. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher, for offering this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It hurts me to write this review. Clair North is my absolute favorite author. Her writing style flows so naturally, and her stories are always so unique. Well, usually they are.
I know this is a retelling of Penelope living on the island of Ithaca after the war. She needs to remarry to keep her throne or get k!ll3d. We know the story, but I expected something different because it's Clair North writing it.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book. But it's also very boring and not unique. Nothing really stood out from the story besides the interesting narrator choice. The story is narrated by the Goddess Hera. The rest felt dull and eventually I decided to dnf it at 40%.

As for the audiobook narrator, Catrin Walker-Booth did an excellent job bringing characters to live and telling the story.

Overall, if you're a fan of Greek mythology and retellings, this might be a good book for you. Sadly, I feel like I'm not the target audience for this story.

I enjoyed this story. It felt like it kept moving and was an interesting take on Penelope's story. I enjoyed the audiobook narration as well.

I listened to Ithaca by Claire North on audio over the last two weeks. I love a good mythology retelling or reimagining, so I was very excited to listen to this one.

Ithaca is the story of Penelope’s time in the city while awaiting her husband Odyseuss’ return after the Trojan War. The story is told from the perspective of Hera, queen of the gods.

This was a slower, more meditative and detailed look into the daily life of Penelope, her son, Telemachus, her court, advisors and suitors.

It really honored the complicated status and choices of not only Penelope but of all of the women in Ithaca. Spoiler alert: they were very few and mostly terrible. It was a fascinating and detailed character-forward read, sometimes a bit overly detailed for me. A general knowledge of Greek mythology is implied and you will be fairly lost without it. Many characters are mentioned and it was hard to keep track of them, especially on audio. That said, it was a beautifully written and narrated, brutally honest and often heartbreaking story about the overlooked people of Ithaca, the women.

This particular story climaxes with Penelope’s intersection in Clytemnestra’s fate and does not end in Odysess’ return. I believe this is the beginning of a series by North.

Overall, the story was a little slower and more character-driven than I generally prefer but still a beautiful and enjoyable read.

Thanks to @netgalley and @hachettebooks for the audiobook.

I have been on a Greek retelling kick of late, and this book was a great addition to the genre. While the story is about Penelope primarily, many female characters are introduced and the story is more in the point of view of Hera. I mostly enjoyed this, especially because Hera brought her own layer to this already sprawling story, but at times it felt slightly disjointed. Additionally, there were so many characters names that I found myself stopping to remind myself of which person was which. This may not have been as much an issue if I were reading the print version, but in the audiobook, it took some getting used to. Overall, I did very much enjoy the focus on the female characters and their interactions and look forward to the next book in the series!

I was so ready to love this because I've been waiting for another retelling of Penelope's POV since The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, but I'm sad to say this was not it. All the characters where one-dimensional and the plot itself revolve basically around hating men. I wanted these women to have more depth to them, their stories to be more explored, but this unfortunately was a retelling that didn't add anything to the "real" story or even made justice to the role women had to take during the Trojan war.