The wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff

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Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2008.
ISBN 978 1 84507 828 7
(Ages 10+) This reprint of Rosemary Sutcliff's retelling of The Odyssey will have new followers as the readers dip into the stories they may have heard or tales of names that are vaguely familiar. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus as he and his men returned to Ithaca after the Trojan Wars. The men have not seen their families for ten long years, years which have taken their toll on their friends and allies. The 15 stories presented here include many that are familiar, Cyclops, the Enchantress, and the Isle of the Dead, for example, but many are not so familiar and will thrill readers anew.
Sutcliff, who died in 1992, was an award winning writer of historical fiction, and this book underlines why she was held in such high esteem. The writing is flawless, uncomplicated and flowing. Even when the reader knows some of the story, it is like reading it anew. Sutcliff adds gravity and a world view in her retelling which gives the reader a wider perspective of the tale at hand.
Fran Knight

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