“From the shadowy recesses of myth and epic poetry, step forth a host of women who once lived. A stirring, enlightening and fascinating exploration of the real lives of women written with expert knowledge, wit, and poetic flair. A true pleasure for the reader to lose themselves in.”

Jennifer Saint, author of Elektra

“A brilliant riposte to a millennia-old dilemma. Fascinating, enthralling, and insightful—Penelope’s Bones helps to recolor the world of epic for us for good!”

Michael Scott, author of X Marks the Spot: The Story of Archaeology in Eight Extraordinary Discoveries

“If you are interested in the ancient world, I truly cannot recommend Penelope’s Bones highly enough. Just breathtaking—you HAVE to read it.”

Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den

"The rare book that will not only deepen your understanding of Homer, but open your mind to an entirely new, richer way of reading ancient epic."

Donna Zuckerberg, author of Not All Dead White Men

“A timely reminder of how much has been left out of traditional myth and storytelling. Hauser deftly plumbs the depths of Greek myth to re-center the lives of mythical women.”

Joel Christensen, author of Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things

"A bold and intellectually-thrilling book, blending history and science, rigorous scholarship, and dazzling feats of imagination.”

Tom Holland, author of Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age

"A masterpiece. Bringing together her stellar expertise and exquisitely artful prose style, her brilliant interpretation of these tales is destined to enthrall the expert and the general reader alike. Hauser shows us Homer in a new light: in a world inhabited by women uneclipsed by men."

Gregory Nagy, Harvard University

"Someone once wrote that the world of Homer is immortal precisely because it never existed, except in the poetic imagination—a thought that award-winning classicist and novelist Hauser exploits and explores brilliantly in her eighteen character-sketches of ancient females both divine and human."

Paul Cartledge, author of The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece

"Vividly brings the women of the Bronze Age to life, with a winning combination of sparkling, energetic writing and meticulous research into the archaeology of the time."

Tim Whitmarsh, author of Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World

"A dazzling and compassionate achievement that throws brilliant light on the world of Homer. Impressively researched and beautifully written, this book is full of astonishing revelations."

Caroline Lawrence, author of the Roman Mysteries series