by Margaret Atwood
Author Margaret Atwood (need I say more?!) does it again in this take on Greek mythology, specifically Homer's The Odyssey - from the feminine point of view. Meet Penelope, Odysseus's wife who is also Helen of Troy's cousin. She was said to have been left alone for 20 years as Odysseus traipsed around the globe, fighting wars and slaying monsters of the sea. Penelope all the while kept the kingdom and herself and her family safe, acting as queen in Odysseus's absence. Atwood writes Penelope as a modern-day heroine with prose good enough to honor Homer's original poetry.