The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

December 23, 2024

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Before the city of Troy fell, the invading Greek army destroyed the cities on the Trojan plain, killing the men and boys and taking the girls and women as slaves. The wife of a high ranking noble, Briseis was given to the warrior Achilles as a war prize. Achilles treats her kindly if indifferently, but his close friend and charioteer Patroclus becomes a friend to Briseis.

The story of the Trojan War is usually told by the men who were the victors: Odysseus, Achilles, Agamemmon, Menelaus. Rarely are the voices of the losing side heard, and almost never the women. This is the first book in Barker's trilogy about the women and girls who were the real victims, forced into slavery or prostitution by the conquering Greeks. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction and mythology. Also recommended are The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati.

Ruins believed to be part of ancient Troy