A Thousand Ships

Books | Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology

4.3

(798)

Natalie Haynes

NATIONAL BESTSELLERAn 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 CirceShortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War 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.

Historical Fiction

Buy now:

More Details:

Author

Natalie Haynes

Pages

347

Publisher

Pan Macmillan

Published Date

2020

ISBN

1509836217 9781509836215

Community ReviewsSee all

"Another good foray into Greek mythology for me, focused on the roles that the goddesses and women of Greece and Troy played in the familiar tales of the Battle of Troy. "

Jackie Davidson

"This was an interesting take from the perspective of women who were involved with the Trojan War. I really enjoyed this book even though I generally prefer books in chronological order."

Olivia Huie

"i am absolutely obsessed with the way haynes writes. her multiple POVs of the war, sprinkles of humor, emotional depth, and non-chronological plot development is beyond incredible. the only reason this book isn’t a 5er is due to the pacing, a bit slower than what i like, but still a wonderful read. "

"3.5/5"

Gizelle Villalta

"I liked the poetic way this was written, but I think it's a missed opportunity that pretty much all of the perspectives are noblewomen (or at least formerly so) and gods."

Sarah Brown

"Purchase please!"

Lyndsey Plyler

"I liked the idea of this book, focusing on war’s effects on women and a sort of discussion on the meaning of heroism, but the execution just felt really weak to me. The muse character basically outright states the book’s theme at least three times, in case I somehow missed it, the overpopulation motif with Gaia is boring and ridiculous, and the tone of some parts is really weird (Penelope’s letters at times feel like a comedy sketch). The book also mostly focuses on noblewomen and goddesses which I feel is a missed opportunity in a book about women and war.<br/><br/>The chapter about the Amazons was interesting though and I found Cassandra’s point of view compelling, so three stars."

awesome_user_984860

"This book was so moving. I love how it changes your perspective on a story that a lot of people have known since they were kids. There's these idolized characters like Achilles and Odysseus who become humanized as we hear their stories through the perspective of the women in their lives and it takes them off the pedestal that the Iliad and history have put them on. I thought that was very powerful. "

Tatum Updegraff

"A retelling of the Troy War from the perspective of the women involved. Beautifully written 4.75"

Michelle Carrington

"it may be difficult to understand at times if you don’t know much background on the trojan war. overall it was a great read and i loved the fact it was told only from the perspective of women!"