A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

I love this genre of mythological fiction, and it was certainly the time to read this book, starting it just prior to our trip to Turkey and our tour of Troy.

And I love the idea of this book, bringing to light the untold stories of the women impacted by the Trojan War.

But for some reason it didn't work quite as well as I had hoped.  

It's difficult to understand why.  Perhaps it's the lack of a narrative, even though I know my Iliad and Odyssey quite well.  It read more like a series of short stories, which I can certainly enjoy, but wasn't expecting in this case.

But still I'm happy to have read it, for the new perspectives these stories add to the rich tapestry of The Iliad, The Odyssey, and the broader canon of the ancient Mediterranean world.

The Cambridge Companion to the Hellenistic World

Once again, these guides are invaluable to understanding and exploring such massive topics.  Among other findings, this book has underscored the need to read Polybius before completing my study of the age.