Retellings of Greek mythology and Ancient Greek epics seem to be my genre of choice in 2022; from Jennifer Saint’s two novels, starting Lore Olympus, and more besides, every writer continues to bring something new to old tales. Ithaca by Claire North is no exception to the rule.
Eighteen years since Odysseus left for Troy, eight years since he was to set sail home, we join the women of Ithaca, we see the quiet island troubled by threats. From pirate raids and warring suitors growing weary of stalling tactics, to a husband-murdering cousin hiding from justice and the children looking to avenge someone who might not deserve avenging.
The novel in advertising is frequently described as being the ‘untold’ version of Penelope’s perspective of The Odyssey, and this is something which permeates through the novel proper. Even extending to its narrator, who is revealed in a throwaway line in chapter six as being Hera, the Goddess of Marriage, and someone I have also found in Greek mythology to have been overlooked and unable to have her point of view heard. It is a perfect combination for the story itself, one that allows for such a refreshing perspective on something so familiar in the public consciousness.
Each woman in the narrative feels so unique, too. Penelope, whose only description in the classics was her loyalty to Odysseus and her cunning to rival her husband’s, flourishes here as Claire North puts these traits front and centre.
Ithaca strikes me as a novel somewhere between The Penelopiad (for obvious reasons), Ariadne (its interactions between gods and humanity), and Silence of the Girls (a deeper, physical look at the Trojan War from the perspective of the women), and it found a poignant balance between all three. Its look behind the scenes of these great adventures sometimes, however, feels too padded; there are some moments in the final 1/3 of the novel which I felt could have wrapped up a little sooner.
The novel’s tone is brutal at times, to the point, unflinching. The narrator tells you, the reader, how it is. Whether it’s a cutting remark about how Odysseus has “grown in stature … if only in the poet’s eye”. But it allows a more visual description of the smallest elements, transporting readers to the front line of conflict visible and hidden alike, and you can’t look away from the desperate moments or mistakes.
I also adore the little asides that are mythology related. The manner in which Hera can curse Horus for interfering right after noticing Athena doing the same; the cross-referencing of separate myth systems makes Ancient Greece feel that much more genuine and connected with its wider world. From one young woman called “Atalanta reborn” to Hera noting Horus’ influence on a pivotal scene.
The book, the story told from so many different angles, is about power. Penelope’s in trying to maintain control of Ithaca; Hera in exercising her own as far as possible without detection; Telemachus in learning to get his own and step forward without people forcing his hand.
“The poets do not sing of women” but our writers certainly do.
I’m curious as to where the sequel will take the story before Odysseus returns. Does Telemachus’ sailing in search of his father have anything to do with it? How will the ladies who stood up in Ithaca’s time of need continue to defend from the shadows?
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Ithaca 🙂
The Nerdy Archer 
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