I was familiar with the bare bones of the Oedipus story before reading this retelling, but I didn’t know all the intricate details unravelled and investigated here. Haynes brings us the perspective of Jocasta and her youngest daughter Ismene as they fight for the preservation of their lives beneath the restrictions of the Royal Court of Thebes. They become unwitting victims to the plotting men vying for position and power, no matter the cost, but an indomitable spirit shines through the fissures as they rise to claim their own place and power. 

 

Natalie Haynes has a gift with recreating these ancient stories, bringing the page to life in brilliant colour, transmitting each agony—and though we already know the outcome, she draws us into the story until we cannot help but hope for a different ending than the tragic inevitable. She takes some fictional liberties, but each diversion from the original works quite well to engage the reader in the overwhelming emotion of these deceived, unfortunate characters. And even at the tragic end, she manages to deliver a glimmer of hope. 

 

Haynes has brought forth yet another triumph to set upon the shelf of unique female voices, each sharing their perspective on the hackneyed patriarchy’s old familiar Greek myths.