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Le Guin has added a work to what is now a flood of retellings of ancient myths and legends from a female perspective. In this case, Lavinia, the wife of Aeneas tells her story. It is quite an accomplishment for Le Guin because the character of Lavinia barely appeared in the Aeneid by Virgil and had no spoken lines. A challenge, yes, but also an opportunity to build her own character based on few clues - and it is an opportunity that Le Guin neither wastes nor abuses. Through Lavinia's eyes and her religious visions, we see the establishment of what will become the city of Rome as well as a hint of Rome's future.

The book felt a little uneven to me, especially after Aeneas and his Trojan survivors establish themselves, but it was still very much an entertaining read.