Phaedra: A Novel

by Laura Shepperson

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes, a feminist take on mythology is coming our way with Phaedra. Picking apart the misogynistic narratives of women’s weakness, conniving nature, and duplicity, Laura Shepperson offers a new look on a maligned mythological figure, giving her a voice and showing that one woman’s bravery is all it takes to break open the weight of patriarchy.

Debut novelist Laura Shepperson offers a powerful feminist retelling of Phaedra and her unyielding quest for justice, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes.

Phaedra has been cast to the side all her life: daughter of an adulteress, sister of a monster, and now unwilling bride to the much-older, power-hungry Theseus. Young, naïve, and idealistic, she has accepted her lot in life, resigned to existing under the sinister weight of Theseus’s control and the constant watchful eye of her handsome stepson Hippolytus.
 
When supposedly pious Hippolytus assaults her, Phaedra’s world is darkened in the face of untouchable, prideful power. In the face of injustice, Phaedra refuses to remain quiet any longer: such an awful truth demands to be brought to light. When Phaedra publicly accuses Hippolytus of rape, she sparks an overdue reckoning.
 
The men of Athens gather to determine the truth. Meanwhile, the women of the city, who have no vote, are gathering in the shadows. The women know truth is a slippery thing in the hands of men. There are two sides to every story, and theirs has gone unheard. Until now.
 
Timely, unflinching, and transportive, Laura Shepperson’s Phaedra carves open long-accepted wounds to give voice to one of the most maligned figures of mythology and offers a stunning story of how truth bends under the weight of patriarchy but can be broken open by the force of one woman’s bravery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781639101542
Publisher:	CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Publication date:	01/10/2023
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	20,189
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Laura Shepperson has been fascinated by myths and myth retellings since studying Classical Studies at university, and her current novel updates the story of Phaedra, sister of the Minotaur. In 2017 she was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Prize for Fiction. Laura holds a Master of Studies in Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge. She is trying to learn Ancient Greek. Laura lives outside London with her husband and children.

Editorial Reviews

A feminist reimagining of the plight of Phaedra in this audiobook highlights the power dynamics that characterize many Greek myths. Through a series of misfortunes, Phaedra is married to Theseus. It's a loveless marriage, and she faces a bleak future. Rather than be branded a seductress, Phaedra accuses her stepson, Hippolytus, of raping her. He is convicted, but, ultimately, she is seen as a guilty outsider. Written in the format of a Greek tragedy, the story includes many points of view. The group of narrators greatly aid the listener in distinguishing the voices and creating a distinctive chorus. A number of Greek names, for example, Poseidon, are given nonstandard pronunciations. Kudos to the publisher for identifying the roles of each narrator in the credits. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

June 2023 - AudioFile

10/17/2022

Shepperson shines in her debut, a plausible revisionist take on Greek mythology that gives voice and agency to Phaedra, a Cretan princess. On Crete, the Athenian prince and mythical hero Theseus manages to elicit the secrets of the island’s labyrinth from Princess Ariadne and kill the feared Minotaur. Phaedra, Ariadne’s younger sister, is horrified; her brother had been born with a deformity but was a gentle soul, not the man-eating beast of legend. Her distress is compounded when she’s given in marriage to Theseus and must start a new life in Athens, where she’s housed in a dirty room and isolated from her new husband. While Theseus seems to have no interest in her, his teenage son Hippolytus, rumored to be the son from Theseus’s rape of an Amazon queen, does, despite his vow of chastity to the goddess Artemis. That leads to another act of violence that Shepperson adds to the traditional telling of the myth, along with a different, but still tragic, resolution. Shepperson’s infusion of psychological depth into mythical archetypes will remind many of Robert Graves’s Hercules, My Shipmate. This inspired feminist retelling will captivate readers. Agent: Nelle Andrew, Rachel Mills Literary. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Phaedra:
“[A] powerful and compulsively readable tale . . . [For] fans of Jennifer Saint's Ariadne and Madeline Miller's Circe.”
—Booklist, starred review

“Shepperson shines in her debut . . . This inspired feminist retelling will captivate readers.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A breath of fresh air from an ancient tale.”
—Kirkus

“Fans of Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint, and Natalie Haynes will enjoy this sweeping tale.”
—Library Journal, audiobook review

“Interesting interpretations of various myths . . . One for fans of Madeline Miller.”
—Historical Novel Society

“This historical work of exceptional fiction will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in Greek folklore, legends and myths . . . Entertaining, and thought-provoking.”
—Midwest Book Review

“Phaedra is a powerful reimagining of Greek tragedy, skillfully interweaving the voices of women to haunting effect, creating echoes that resonate in modern society. A deft and clever retelling full of intrigue, rage and pathos.”
—Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne

“A feminist retelling that subverts the most enduring myth of them all—that women are to blame for the violence exacted upon them and are the cause of their own suffering. Laura Shepperson does not flinch in her reimagining of Phaedra's story. Wholly original, Phaedra eschews romance, and does not seek to mollify the male reader. Instead, the author holds steadfast in her unpicking of the age-old misogynistic narrative that women are weak, conniving and duplicitous. Chapter after chapter she posits: This is how it is, can you deny it? A welcome reimagining that left me all at once satisfied and furious.”
—Joanne Burn, author of The Hemlock Cure

“A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters.” 
—Cari Thomas, Sunday Times bestseller author of Threadneedle
 
“A compelling and skilfully woven story, Phaedra challenges the silencing of female voices with an urgent and furious reimagining of a number of unlikely Classical tales.”
—Rosie Andrews, Sunday Times author of The Leviathan

“An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book.”
—Claire North, author of Ithaca

“Thrilling, menacing, heartbreaking. An ancient story for modern times. So gripping the pages almost turn themselves”
—Emma Carroll, author of Letters From The Lighthouse
 
“Phaedra is beautifully told, and utterly gripping - a must for any fans of Greek myth retellings. I was immediately enthralled by the variety of voices and viewpoints telling the story, and each character was so well drawn and distinctive. The tension builds to an explosive, heart rending finale, and I couldn't put the book down. Shepperson draws from the original myths, and compellingly asks us to consider how our understanding is influenced by who is telling the story - and why.”
—Cailean Stead, author of Home
 
“A stunning debut . . . vibrant characters, dark twists, a shimmering brilliant read.”
—Carly Reagon, author of The Toll House
 
“Compelling and immersive storytelling. A sparkling debut”
—Julie Owen Moylan, author of That Green Eyed Girl

From the Publisher

“[A] powerful and compulsively readable tale.”

Booklist (starred review)

“A feminist reimagining of the plight of Phaedra…The group of narrators greatly aid the listener in distinguishing the voices and creating a distinctive chorus. A number of Greek names, for example, Poseidon, are given nonstandard pronunciations. Kudos to the publisher for identifying the roles of each narrator in the credits.”

AudioFile

2022-11-29
A princess is whisked away from home and into a dangerous new world in this reinterpretation of the Greek myth.

Phaedra is the younger and plainer princess of Crete. As a teenager, she is witness to the arrival of Theseus and his slaying of her brother, the Minotaur, in the labyrinth. After losing her sister, Ariadne, she becomes Theseus’ bride and travels with him to Athens, intent on seeing the gods take revenge on him for the murder of her brother. But Athens is a different world, harsher and filled with men who have no time for the young princess, now queen. Her volatile relationship with her stepson, Hippolytus, who is roughly her age, and her nonexistent relationship with her husband boil over when the worst happens and all of Phaedra’s faith is tested. Shepperson has taken an old story and given it new life with her feminist framing. The point of view rotates among major players like Phaedra; her maid, Kandake; and the king's adviser, Trypho, and minor players like Xenethippe, an Athenian peasant; and Helia, a bull leaper. Interjections from the Night Chorus, the unified voice of the women of Athens, set the scene, letting the reader know the truth of what is happening beyond Phaedra’s sight. The writing is evocative, crisp, and clear even when dealing with Greek customs, weapons, and traditions. The looming, ever present threat of sexual violence creates tension even in seemingly innocuous scenes, clear even to readers unfamiliar with the original story. This tale was always going to be a tragedy, but telling it almost entirely from the women’s points of view makes it both more modern and more eternal, the system of men protecting men never changing.

A breath of fresh air from an ancient tale.

Kirkus Reviews