The Overdue Book Club

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope, wife of Odysseus is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife. Left alone for twenty years Penelope managess, in the face of scandalous rumors, to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca. When Odysseus returns after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters and sleeping with goddesses, he kills her suitors and – curiously – twelve of her maids. In The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood gives the retelling to Penelope and to her twelve hanged maids asking, “What led to the hanging of the maids and what was Penelope really up to? This contemporary story becomes as wise as it is haunting, entertaining and disturbing. Atwood gives Penelope new life and reality – and sets out to provide an answer to an ancient mystery.

Discussion – Monday, December 1, 2025 6:00 PM