Please let me live in this world!

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ Madeline Miller's Circe was a standout stunner for me last year, topping my list of favorites for the year. Pat Barker's Silence of the Girls was also very good though not as strong or rapturous as Circe.

A Thousand Ships did what Silence could not - it made the female perspective of the Trojan War come to vivid, excruciating and joyous life. Where Silence felt decidedly feminist, A Thousand Ships told the tale simply from female (and godly) perspectives without being put upon as a woman 'done wrong by'. They did not judge the right or wrong of male treatment but simply reported it. Things were very different in the ancient world. That doesn't make them right or wrong but we must not measure them by the skewed cultural yard stick of today. There, that's my little rant done. Sorry for that but this book is a stellar example of being pro-woman without being nauseating in it's self-righteousness.

Now, on to the book. Oh! What a brilliant story. I loved the time jumping and the views of the many female characters touched by the Trojan War. As much as I love the story of the war it was great not to relive the entire ten year ordeal blow by blow. But, instead, get a deep feeling for how it impacted women and gods, too. I loved the slow unveiling of the entire reason behind the war. Classic Greek god logic!

I loved this book entirely and wished it could go on and on, exactly as I felt for Circe. I am created to revel in Greek mythology and this is a perfect example of mythology reinvigorated. A joyous, magical work that is worthy of all praise.