Description
Now that the air has run out for everyone else, it’s my turn to spin a tale. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope—the faithful wife of Odysseus and cousin to Helen of Troy—is depicted as the model of loyalty, her narrative a timeless lesson. Alone for twenty years while Odysseus fights in the Trojan War after Helen’s abduction, Penelope skillfully maintains the kingdom of Ithaca, raises her rebellious son, and fends off over a hundred suitors. When Odysseus finally returns after facing numerous trials, he kills her suitors and, curiously, twelve of her maids. Margaret Atwood offers a contemporary twist to this ancient tale by giving voice to Penelope and her hanged maids, exploring what led to their hanging and the true intentions of Penelope. In Atwood’s brilliant retelling, the story is wise, compassionate, haunting, and disturbingly entertaining. With her signature wit and storytelling prowess, Atwood breathes new life into Penelope and seeks answers to an age-old mystery.
