Clytemnestra: A Novel

Clytemnestra is a princess of Sparta, along with her sister Helen, who will one day be ‘’the face that launched a thousand ships.” The day that Agamemnon and Menelaus come to Sparta is the day that everything will change for Clytemnestra. Menelaus will marry Helen and Agamemnon will take Clytemnestra, even though she is already a wife and mother. Her life will be forever steeped in tragedy and sorrow, but Clytemnestra is a queen, and she will have her revenge.

I have always been fascinated by Ancient Greece and this story in particular. Casati has done a wonderful job of bringing this infamous queen to life in a new way that makes you feel as if you were there watching it unfold. You can’t help but feel for Clytemnestra and her family as she tries to survive this harsh landscape, especially as a woman.

If you enjoyed Circe, you will love this story. This novel is full of strong women who take power and make their own choices, or wait patiently for vengeance when their choices are taken from them. Even knowing the ending, this book was impossible to put down. I highly recommend it.