Medusa

by Rosie Hewlett

Overview

WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL RUBERY BOOK OF THE YEAR AND RUBERY FICTION AWARD 2021

Within the depths of the Underworld the formidable snake-haired Gorgon has finally had enough. Tired of being eternally and unjustly brandished a villain, Medusa has found the courage to face her tragic past and speak out. Determined to expose the centuries of lies surrounding her name, Medusa gives unparalleled insight into her cursed life, from her earliest memories and abandonment at birth, right through to her tragic and untimely death at the hands of the hero Perseus. Through telling her story, Medusa finally reveals the lost truth behind antiquity's most infamous monster.

Medusa breathes new life into an ancient story and echoes the battle that women throughout millennia have continued to wage - the opportunity to simply be heard.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781800420663
Publisher:	Silverwood Books
Publication date:	04/30/2021
Pages:	204
Sales rank:	131,560
Product dimensions:	5.06(w) x 7.81(h) x 0.47(d)

About the Author

Having secured a First Class Honours degree in Classical Literature and Civilisation at the University of Birmingham, Rosie Hewlett has studied Greek mythology in depth and is passionate about unearthing strong female voices within the classical world. Rosie now works in the film industry where she spends her days bringing stories to life in a different way. In her free time, when she isn't writing, Rosie can be found kickboxing, finding animals to pet or drinking wine (but usually not all at the same time). 'Medusa' is Rosie's debut novel, written during the UK 2020 lockdown.

Editorial Reviews

09/13/2021

With this slim, zeitgeisty debut, Hewlett gives a complex voice to the Ancient Greek gorgon Medusa. In an extended monologue that reads like a confessional, Medusa details how she was unwanted from the moment she came into the world. Abandoned by her mother, the primordial sea god Ceto, Medusa was raised by Theia, a priestess at a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Her childhood is relatively happy and peaceful, until her sisters seek her out, Theia dies, and the sea god Poseidon rapes her in Athena’s temple, provoking Athena to curse Medusa and her sisters to become monsters. Medusa does not shy away from the horrors she and her sisters wrought in this state, but as her startlingly vulnerable narrative of hardship and abuse unfolds, she reveals herself to be a victim, a survivor, and, briefly, a mother, as well as a villain. There’s far more telling than showing, but Hewlett impressively captures the voice of a woman who has been silenced and shaped by men into something she never wanted to be. Lovers of mythology are sure to be pleased by this deeper look into Medusa’s origin story. (Self-published)

Publishers Weekly