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I love the way Jennifer Saint re-tells Greek mythology while centering the experiences of women rather than men. Elektra did exactly that- telling the story of the Trojan War through the lens of three women for whom the heroic battle leads to personal tragedy. It's a story about women in a patriarchal world with little power, trying to claw their way to some kind of agency in their own lives, only to find themselves caught in a cursed cycle of violence, trauma, revenge, and familial harm.

Clytemnestra is the sister of Helen and wife of Agamemnon.

Cassandra is a princess of Troy and priestess to Apollo, cursed to see the future and never be believed.

Elektra is the youngest daughter of Cytemnestra and Agamemnon.

Together they weave a fresh perspective on this oft-retold tale. If you're familiar with the mythology, you will see things coming, but it doesn't lessen the painful impact. This manages to recontextualize events and choices in terms of family relationships, motherhood, and trauma. Where women trying their best to protect the people they love sometimes do terrible things or cause unknown harm. Where women being shrugged off as crazy or emotional by men leads to the downfall of an entire city. It's a striking book and gave me exactly what I was hoping for.