Heroines

'A deft and clever retelling full of intrigue, rage and pathos' JENNIFER SAINT, author of Ariadne'An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book' CLAIRE NORTH, author of Ithaca'Urgent and furious' ROSIE ANDREWS, author of The Leviathan In Athens, crowds flock to witness the most shocking trial of the ancient world. The royal family is mired in scandal. Phaedra, young bride of King Theseus, has accused her stepson, Hippolytus of rape.He's a prince, a talented horseman, a promising noble with his whole life ahead of him. She's a young and neglected wife, the youngest in a long line of Cretan women with less than savoury reputations.The men of Athens must determine the truth. Who is guilty, and who is innocent?But the women know truth is a slippery thing. After all, this is the age of heroes and the age of monsters. There are two sides to every story, and theirs has gone unheard.Until now.'Audacious and spirited' SARAH BURTON, author of The Strange Adventures of H'A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters.' CARI THOMAS author of Threadneedle'The Heroines subverts the most enduring myth of all. That women are to blame.' JOANNE BURN, author of The Hemlock Cure'A mesmerizing read' ELIZABETH LEE, author of Cunning Women'Fiercely compelling' CAROLINE LEA, author of The Glass Woman'A stunning debut . . . vibrant characters, dark twists, a shimmering brilliant read.' CARLY REAGON, author of The Toll House'Beautifully told and utterly gripping . . . The Heroines compellingly asks us to consider how our understanding is influenced by who is telling the story, and why.' CAILEAN STEED, author of Home

The Heroines is a powerful reimagining of Greek tragedy, skilfully interweaving the voices of women to haunting effect, creating echoes that resonate in modern society. A deft and clever retelling full of intrigue, rage and pathos, A compelling and skilfully woven story, The Heroines challenges the silencing of female voices with an urgent and furious reimagining of a number of unlikely Classical tales., A feminist retelling that subverts the most enduring myth of them all - that women are to blame for the violence exacted upon them and are the cause of their own suffering. Laura Shepperson does not flinch in her reimagining of Phaedra's story. Wholly original, The Heroines eschews romance, and does not seek to mollify the male reader. Instead, the author holds steadfast in her unpicking of the age-old misogynistic narrative that women are weak, conniving and duplicitous. Chapter after chapter she posits: This is how it is, can you deny it? A welcome reimagining that left me all at once satisfied and furious, A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters, An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book

Laura Shepperson was born in the UK and has always been fascinated by myths and myth retellings, studying Classical Studies at the University of Auckland. In 2017 she was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Prize for Fiction. Laura holds a Master of Studies in Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge. Laura lives outside London with her husband and two children.