Hewlett, Rosie
9781728299044, 1728299047
Trade Paperback
 
Perfect for readers of The Song of Achilles, this is the profoundly moving retelling of Melantho, the famed handmaid once hanged in Homer's The Odyssey, and her relationship with a beautiful queen that changed them both, in history and in their own hearts, forever.
 
In the quiet of Ithaca two women fall - for each other, for their families, for their kingdoms.
 
When Melantho, a young slave girl in the kitchens beneath a palace, is chosen one night to meet a visiting king, she believes her fates are finally changing. Instead, she is saved by a young princess who understands her father's cruelty more than anyone, and an unlikely friendship is struck.
However, between Melantho's position and the rules of court, obstacles await to wrench them apart until their very trust in each other fractures around them.
 
But when Melantho is taken to Ithaca to serve while the men are away fighting on foreign shores, a new world opens to her. One where women rule, where friendships are rebuilt, and where a love story is finally able to bloom.
 
A profound tale of love, identity and defiance, Sweetbitter Song tells a story forgotten by time. This is a story of bravery and hope, celebrating two women who fought to protect their love from a world that tried to deny its very existence.