Ariadne: The Mesmerising Sunday Times Bestselling Retelling of Ancient Greek Myth

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Beautifully written and nuanced, Ariadne explores the bonds between women and their epic quest for agency in patriarchal Greek society. Due to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. It was a tribute—seven Athenian youths and seven Athenian maidens brought every year across the waves to Crete to sate the appetite of the monstrosity that had threatened to shatter my family with shame but instead had elevated us to the status of legends. In doing so, the author underscores the cost of these narratives, which relegate women's complex and valuable lives to background incidents in heroes' stories, including horrifying incidents of sexual violence.

A new month of exciting publishing has arrived, and we like to think of this as a little heat to jumpstart your summer reading. VERDICT This will appeal to older teens interested retellings that give voice to women's stories; offer it alongside books by Madeline Miller, Adèle Geras, Elana K. A page-turner…If you like Madeline Miller's Circe and Son of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne, a retelling of y Saint’s immersive novel thrusts the reader straight into the heart of Greek mythology with this wonderful reimagining of the story of Ariadne. But she grew into a ravishing young woman and swore herself to be chaste, laughing at the suitors who clamored for her hand.Ariadne is a fascinating character and it was so compelling to read the story from her point of view. If Daedalus simply humored me, I never knew it, for I always felt like we were two equals conversing. I could watch the ships sail from Cretan shores, their masts and sails built under Daedalus’ skilled supervision, but I could only imagine what it felt like to cross the ocean on one and feel the boards creaking beneath my feet while the waves hissed and crashed against the sides. She spent the next thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote Ariadne which was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was a Waterstones Book of the Month, as well as being a Sunday Times bestseller.

This is an exceptional debut and if you’re a fan of books by Madeline Miller and Pat Barker, this should definitely be your next read. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions.

Ariadne’s life has always been touched by the gods, as her mother, Pasiphae, is the daughter of Helios, god of the sun.

But when I thought of Scylla, I thought of the foolish and all-too-human girl, gasping for breath amid the froth of waves churning in the wake of my father’s boat. I would loop through the bewildering multitude of rooms, skating my palm across the smooth red walls as I drifted through snaking passageways. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins. Saint cleverly combines sources, many with conflicting events and time lines, into the compelling story of a young woman who falls in love, experiences betrayal, and carves a life for herself outside the traditional narratives of gods and heroes.Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN 'With her wonderfully executed debut that reimagines the classic tale of Theseus, Adriane and the Minotaur, Jennifer Saint joins the likes of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker in forging mesmerising retellings of ancient Greek myths from a female perspective.

This quality allows the novel to strike a fine balance: it is both a thoughtful novel of serious ideas and a propulsive intellectual romp. Experience these classic stories as you never have before and see these heroines in a brand-new light. I would stretch my arms out, reaching upward to the peaceful sky, forgetting for the duration of the dance the horrors that dwelled underneath us.

We’ve been reading and writing together as long as we can remember, and we’re excited to share our bookish thoughts with you! She has also witnessed their wrath, unfairly brought down upon Pasiphae by Poseidon, the sea god, because of Minos’s transgressions against him.