this subversive re-seeing of the classics is a many-layered delight.” - Guardian 'Savvy and well plotted.… Haynes’s inventiveness in conjuring the lives of Greek and Trojan women through… evocative details keeps the novel humming.' - New York Times Book Review A fresh and utterly satisfying feminist take on one of the oldest stories in Western literature.” - Melissa Gray, NPR Best Books of the Year

“In Natalie Haynes’ own brilliant construction, the 10-year tale of the Trojan War is retold by the many women ignored, widowed, enslaved, heartbroken and snuffed out by the pride and stupidity of warring men…. It’s a timely notion as the modern world reckons with who gets to tell the stories of its diverse populations.' - Washington Post It tells in lively fashion gripping tales of bravery, treachery and revenge. “ A Thousand Ships does more than acknowledge the suffering of women. Her thoughtful portraits will linger with you long after the book is finished.' - Madeline Miller, author of Circe 'With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War. Troy has fallen.įrom the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.Ī woman’s epic, powerfully imbued with new life, A Thousand Ships puts the women, girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world’s great tale ever told. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. This was never the story of one woman, or two.

They have waited long enough for their turn. This is the women’s war, just as much as it is the men’s.

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences-for fans of Madeline Miller. With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War.”-Madeline Miller, author of Circe

A thousand ships a novel