A Thousand Ships: A Novel

NATIONAL BESTSELLER
An NPR Best Book of the Year
“Gorgeous.... With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War.”—Madeline Miller, author of Circe
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, this gorgeous mythological retelling of the Trojan War explores the conflict from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences—for fans of Madeline Miller.
This is the women’s war, just as much as it is the men’s. They have waited long enough for their turn . . .
This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . .
In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen.
From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.
A woman’s epic, powerfully imbued with new life, A Thousand Ships puts the women, girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world’s great tale ever told.
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Community Reviews
Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. It felt more like an info dump than a cohesive retelling, with way too many POVs and stories crammed into short chapters. Just when I started getting invested in a character, the story would move on to someone else.
I also expected this to really center the women of Greek mythology but so many of their stories were still focused on the men and their actions. I forced myself to finish because I really didn’t want to DNF it. Definitely not a favorite retelling.
Beautifully written. I felt their emotions one by one in every chapter. Although there was no happy ending they’re still heroes in my heart.
Loved it! Great writing, great characters, and everything made sense from a mythological perspective. Beautiful to give the women of this time period a spotlight, but also heartbreaking and tragic. I was so sad for these women (and the real women from this time period) throughout the whole book
Tried 3 times to get through this book. Finally I just let it play in the background. I can say that I have "finished" it.
K
i liked: it was a take on the women’s parts of the trojan war and how their stories have been ignored. in particular enjoyed penelope’s chapters.
i didn’t love: the narrator felt like someone reading you a book. like it wasn’t immersive? i think it required the reader to remember a lot about mythology and history. sometimes i’d have to google something because i forgot and it would just briefly mention it
i didn’t love: the narrator felt like someone reading you a book. like it wasn’t immersive? i think it required the reader to remember a lot about mythology and history. sometimes i’d have to google something because i forgot and it would just briefly mention it
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