The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus

Penelope was hailed as an ideal wife through all she endured in Odysseus’s absence while he fought in the Trojan War and then his ruinous return. This short novel asks what Penelope really went through, whether she was faithful, and why Odysseus hanged twelve of her maids. Margaret Atwood applies herself to solving the mystery of what actually happened so long ago.