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The award-winning author of The Four Seasons retells The Odyssey from the point of view of Odysseus and Penelope's daughter.
With her father Odysseus gone for twenty years, Xanthe barricades herself in her royal chambers to escape the rapacious suitors who would abduct her to gain the throne. Xanthe turns to her loom to weave the adventures of her life, from her upbringing among servants and slaves, to the years spent in hiding with her mother's cousin, Helen of Troy, to the passion of her sexual awakening in the arms of the man she loves.
And when a stranger dressed as a beggar appears at the palace, Xanthe wonders who will be the one to decide her future-a suitor she loathes, a brother she cannot respect, or a father who doesn't know she exists...
- Sales Rank: #1584576 in Books
- Published on: 2010-10-05
- Released on: 2010-10-05
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.25" h x .90" w x 5.50" l, .68 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 358 pages
From Booklist
This novel revisits the story of the Trojan War and its aftermath. As it opens, the war has long ended, and the family of the missing Odysseus is still awaiting his return. Daughter Xanthe is left under the care of servants. She has barricaded herself in her room as a protection against unwanted suitors, passing the time by weaving. The story unfolds as she works at her loom, the designs serving as a framework to her tale. As Xanthe shares her history of ancient Greece, a complex picture emerges. Though the war has ended, the people of Ithaca are still immersed in a battle for their future. In Homer’s saga, women who once wept for their lost men are given the voice and power they deserve. In Corona’s tale, women turn a tragedy into opportunity, finding a way to thrive in a world full of men. Penelope’s Daughter provides new insight into the lives of Homer’s women while giving voice to the inventiveness, creativity, and ingenuity of all those left behind. --Carol Gladstein
About the Author
Laurel Corona is a tenured professor of English and Humanities at San Diego City College and the author of the forthcoming novel "The" "Four Seasons." She lives in San Diego, California.
Most helpful customer reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
The Odyssey You Didn't Know About
By Heather C
If you are a fan of The Odyssey you are sure to enjoy the events that transpire in this book. While the struggles of Odysseus to return home to his family following the Battle of Troy are not the focus of this novel - the life of his family at home, and also that of the life of Helen of Troy following the war, are expanded upon. We also learn that after Odysseus set off for war, his wife, Penelope, had a daughter that he never knew about. We explore Xanthe's life throughout the twenty years that Odysseus is gone and it ends just after he returns home.
Each chapter of the book begins with a description by Xanthe of a part of her weaving that she is working on. Xanthe has decided, while locked away in her bedroom, that she will tell her life's story through a giant weaving. She explains choices for different colors, techniques, threads, and as you read on in the chapter, you can see how this weaving mirrors her life. It is a very interesting story telling device, although at the beginning of the story it did leave me a little confused.
Xanthe can break down her life into three distinct sections - and the book is broken down the same way - Ithaca, Sparta, Ithaca. The first part, Ithaca, Xanthe is a very young girl. She doesn't really understand the world that is unfolding around her now that her father has been gone for so long and the politics that are at play. I had some trouble getting into this section - it just felt a little more dry to me than the rest of the book. The second part, Sparta, is Xanthe's life at the court of Helen of Troy. She was sent there to try an escape The Suitors. Here is where the story really picked up for me. This is where Xanthe really grows up and learns more of her role in life. Then the third part, Ithaca, is her return to Ithaca and the family reunites with Odysseus. It really is a coming of age story for Xanthe.
The author creates a very vivid Greek world. The descriptions of the traditions, coming of age rites and initiations, and worship of the Gods and Goddesses were beautifully rendered and well researched. The characters that were very much marginalized in The Odyssey and even non-existent characters were fully fleshed out in the pages of Penelope's Daughter. You were really able to see what drove them to the decisions that they made and who they were. One character whose story really blew my mind was Helen of Troy. Xanthe learns a lot about the circumstances surrounding why Helen went to Troy. You also get into the back story of Helen's life prior to Troy. That was the most interesting and touching part to me.
If you are a fan of The Odyssey or a fan of Greek mythology this is a book that should certainly not be missed. You will not be disappointed by the tale that unfolds and will be completely sucked into the story of Xanthe.
This book was received from the publisher in exchange for a review and this was also posted on my blog.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Fabulous read!
By Amy M. Bruno
Penelope's Daughter , written by Laurel Corona, takes Homer's The Odyssey and flips it on its head...focusing instead on what happened to his wife Penelope, daughter Xanthe and son Telemachus during his absence, as narrated to the readers by Xanthe while she weaves the story of her life on her loom.
Most of us know of Homer's The Odyssey from required reading in school, but I have to admit that I don't remember very much of the experience. I can say now that if it was as entertaining as Penelope's Daughter I might have paid a lot more attention! It just took a few pages and I was caught up in Xanthe's world with Corona's entrancing style of writing and exquisite descriptions.
My most favorite part was how the author began each chapter with Xanthe at the loom describing the colors she would use to represent a person, event or place that had meaning to her.
On her brother, Telemachus: "He is woven in green, with little tufted knots of white, like the olive in bloom where we used to play when I was six and he was eight years old."
On her life in Sparta: "I took a charred ember from the fire and, going to the hidden side of my weaving I darkened what I had woven about Sparta until it was caked in black. Sometimes from the front of the loom I stare where I know the black is hiding, imagining little holes burning through the cloth. We think we can control the story we present to the world, but the truth always lies in the background, awaiting its chance to illuminate and scar."
This was my first read by Laurel Corona, but you can be bet I will be back for more! Penelope's Daughter was one phenomenal book and I highly recommend it!
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Great story marred by modern feminist viewpoints
By Sara
*Spoilers*
There seems to be a popular genre in modern literature, most likely started by Anita Diamant's The Red Tent: A Novel, that takes popular ancient stories and tells them through the viewpoint of a female protagonist. These stories often downplay the male characters to the point of making them look foolish, while elevating the female characters to near sainthood. The genre delves into the "secret" lives of ancient women that usually involve goddess worship, horrifying puberty rituals, and premarital sexual relations despite their culture's enormous value on virginity. While I always welcome old stories told through new perspectives, especially male-dominated tales told through the eyes of women, I don't like how the authors interject their own modern views of what female empowerment means.
"Penelope's Daughter" fits this genre to a T, flaws and all. It has a very interesting premise: when Odysseus sails away to Troy, Penelope doesn't know she's pregnant with a daughter. This daughter, Xanthe, grows up never knowing her father. The novel is strongest in the first half when we learn of her childhood and how she ended up living with Helen (yes, THE Helen) in Sparta. Once she gets to Sparta, though, the novel takes a strange turn. Xanthe latches on to Helen and practically worships her. Anything Helen tells her to do, she does, despite her initial protests. Go through some crazy puberty ritual that involves unwanted genital touching? OK! Go lose your virginity even though that may bring shame to you and your family? OK! Through Helen, the author spreads her own modern viewpoints about female sexuality and empowerment, which are out of place in a story that takes place 3,000 years ago. For instance, Xanthe ends up "dating" and having sex with the man of her choice before the two of them get married. It's as if the author couldn't stand to allow her beloved protagonist to actually have a more realistic arranged marriage while still a virgin.
The final straw for me, though, was her portrayal of Odysseus. The entire novel builds up to the point when the hero finally meets the daughter he never knew he had. So what happens? He blows her off. And no wonder - Xanthe is introduced to him in dirty rags by a servant, just after he slaughtered the suitors. She should have been introduced by Penelope, beautifully dressed to greet her father. The author couldn't even give her a nice introduction to her father. Because, like other novels in the genre, the men are just ignorant brutes who could care less about women unless they can be used to serve their needs. God forbid Odysseus, or another male character including Telemachus or Orestes, be seen in a positive light. In fact, the only good male character is Xanthe's lover - but of course the protagonist can't be portrayed having a boyfriend who is deeply flawed like the rest of the men in her life.
Overall, I loved the story and most of the characters, but didn't like the anachronistic viewpoints or the graphic sexual descriptions. Otherwise, this could have been a truly great novel. The author did do a good job of doing her research and accurately describing the clothing and women's lives at the time. Which makes scenes such as Helen telling Xanthe she should take a lover all the more puzzling.
As a better novel in the same vein, I would highly recommend Homer's Daughter. Robert Graves (Penguin Modern Classics). The novel goes on the premise that Homer was actually Nausicaa in "The Odyssey". It has a strong female protagonist without the sex or anti-male sentiment. I would also recommend Hercules, My Shipmate, also by Robert Graves, which portrays goddess worship and strong male and female characters.
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