Beauty's Daughter: The Story of Hermione and Helen of Troy

Gr 7 Up—Narrated by Hermione, daughter of Helen of Troy and King Menelaus of Sparta, this story chronicles several years in her life, starting when she was 11. The novel transpires from the time Helen leaves for Troy with Paris, through the Trojan War, and ends when Hermione marries Orestes. Hermione grows in strength and deals with atrocities to women such as arranged marriages to brutes or concubines being beaten. She also deals with the fact that she has an absent mother who is known as the most beautiful woman in the world, and that she looks nothing like her. Though not told in verse, the story is reminiscent of the style of the well-known epic poems, and many tales of Greek mythology are interwoven throughout. This title would make a great pairing for students studying Greek mythology or reading the Iliad or Odyssey and will appeal particularly to students interested in ancient history.—Adrienne L. Strock, Chicago Public Library