The book is exactly what it tells itself to be, it's a telling of the Greek Myths, so many that you kind of lose count, and they're all told in a compelling and enthusiastic way, and they're also short. Penelope weaves a design ‘as intricate as her own involved, withheld mind’ … Detail from Penelope and the Suitors by John William Waterhouse. Each chapter is dedicated to a woman using weaving to tell their own story and stories that they’ve heard. The only issue I had with this was when it came to retelling Heracles and his story- it wasn’t particularly linear, so if you were someone who maybe hadn’t read the myths it might seem a little confusing. And Higgins’s simple yet sonorous style contains treats even for those lucky enough, like her, to have read her ancient sources in the original languages.

This is supposed to be a ~feminist retelling~ but that is only true because 1) each chapter title is the name of a woman and 2) the author is literally just TELLING you the same Greek stories over again. And of course Helen, Helen who I had sympathy for while reading, Helen who is smarter than she appears who knows that she has no way to get out of something that was honestly between three goddesses who caused so much war and strife. Women do all the work for 9 months, then risk dying in birth, yet guys get all the credit for 10 seconds of "work" while in bliss. This is a world of extremes, and one that resonates deeply with our own: mysterious diseases devastate cities; environmental disasters tear lives apart; women habitually suffer violence at the hands of men. There are stories of love and desire, adventure and magic, destructive gods, helpless humans, fantastical creatures, resourceful witches and the origins of birds and animals.Arachne who shows us the true ugliness of the gods, and in the end still loses to Athena (who honestly sucks). The first chapter is Athena, weaving the story of the creation of the world - some other characters are Medea, Circe, Helen, and Penelope.

The book would make a perfect introduction to the entrancing world of Greek myth for any secondary school student. And of course we follow on how eventually Zeus and his brothers and sisters usurped Cronus and then the Greek gods/goddesses as we know them just run amok. I enjoyed the presentation as stories being woven rather than standalone as it helps show the interconnection between all the myths.I don’t know where this book is supposed to fit in amongst all these other great authors turning out amazing interesting hilarious novels and books. If you want intricate and luscious prose with a deep dive into a specific character and the people that come in and out of their lives, THIS IS NOT THAT BOOK.