Ariadne

Two princesses from Greek mythology step from the shadows to tell their stories in Jennifer Saint's passionate, assured debut novel. Ariadne, eldest daughter of King Minos of Crete, and her younger sister Phaedra live under the pall of their family's shame. Thanks to their father's impiety, their mother, Pasiphae, gives birth to "Minos' greatest humiliation and greatest asset. My brother, the Minotaur." Although Ariadne and her mother try to love the carnivorous creature, his vicious nature makes him a natural weapon.

In Ariadne's 18th year, she helps Prince Theseus of rival Athens end the nightmare of the Minotaur's Labyrinth. In return, Theseus betrays Ariadne, marooning her on an apparently uninhabited island. Rescued by the gentle god Dionysus, she finds a measure of happiness, while Phaedra, who believes Ariadne has died, must enter a loveless political marriage. Over the course of their lives, both sisters repeatedly experience "a truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passion and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do." Separated by deceit, the daughters of Crete must fight for meaning in lives controlled by the whim of gods and men.

Saint's background in classical studies is apparent in her portrayal of self-interested gods and hapless mortals. Her focus on Ariadne, usually treated as a supporting character or footnote, allows her to highlight the powerlessness and scapegoating of women in patriarchal systems. Filled with luxuriant descriptions of pastoral ancient Greece, and unflinching, intelligently developed emotion, this shrewd commentary on the inner lives of overlooked women should resonate with fans of Madeline Miller's Circe. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads

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