Ithaka by Adale Geras
Reviewed by Joie
A decade has crawled by as Penelope sits by her loom, waiting for her husband. The seas have brought no news to her of his survival in the war, so she sits there patiently. A classic tale of the home front, of the poor wife that was left behind, Ithaka is a masterpiece of a story. By Adele Geras, this story is told from Odysseus's wife's point of view as she waits for her husband.
The protagonist is a girl with a twin brother and a best friend. As handmaiden to Lady Penelope herself, she is best friends with the crown prince, Telemachus and twin sister to Ikarios. She is Klymene. They are waiting for their lord, Odysseus to return from the Trojan War. However, as time passes and Ithaka is without a ruler, suitors of the filthiest kind come for Penelope's hand and disaster commences as Aphrodite, Pallas Athene, and Poseidon start a game for the gods.
I believe this is a marvelous, interesting story as it can be related to so many wars waged today. What happens to the women who are left with their children? This story illustrates the hardships of a wife when all she wants to be is faithful to her beloved husband and yet all around her, people are attempting to waver her will. This book can be given to teenagers from about 13 and above, due to the nature of warfare and perverted suitors. This is not a fast paced action book, so some may get bored, but it is a wonderful book to enjoy when you are yearning for a wave of encounters, agonies, and a jolly good lot of secrets. Open the book to experience what happens when all you can cling onto is your faith even if everyone is trying to tell you otherwise.