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The Silence of the Girls

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The Silence of the Girls

By: Pat Barker
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton, Michael Fox
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, read by Kristin Atherton and Michael Fox.

A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF THE 21ST CENTURY

From the Booker Prize-winning author of Regeneration

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Costa Novel Award and the International DUBLIN Literary Award

There was a woman at the heart of the Trojan war whose voice has been silent - till now. Discover the greatest Greek myth of all - retold by the witness that history forgot . . .

'Magnificent. You are in the hands of a writer at the height of her powers' Evening Standard
'Chilling, powerful, audacious' The Times

Briseis was a queen until her city was destroyed. Now she is slave to Achilles, the man who butchered her husband and brothers. Trapped in a world defined by men, can she survive to become the author of her own story?

 Ancient Fantasy Fiction Historical Fiction Magic Women's Fiction Science Fiction Heartfelt War Greek Mythology Ancient Greece

Critic Reviews

A searing twist on The Iliad... Amid the recent slew of rewritings of the great Greek myths and classics, Barker's stands out for its forcefulness of purpose and earthy compassion... Chilling, powerful, audacious
A stunning return to form
Angry, thoughtful, sad, deeply humane and compulsively readable, The Silence of the Girls shows that 36 years after her first novel was published, Barker is a writer at the peak of her powers
Its magnificent final section can't help but make you reflect on the cultural underpinnings of misogyny, the women throughout history who have been told by men to forget their trauma... You are in the hands of a writer at the height of her powers
An assured triumph
An important, powerful, memorable book that invites us to look differently not only at The Iliad but at our own ways of telling stories about the past and the present, and at how anger and hatred play out in our societies
She gives a voice to the voiceless...The Silence of the Girls is a book that will be read in generations to come
An impressive feat of literary revisionism that should be on the Man Booker longlist... This is a story about the very real cost of wars waged by men... Barker makes us re-think history
Giving voice to the voiceless, this is a gripping feat of imagination that succeeds in being relevant today
The most important novel based on The Iliad so far this century
All stars
Most relevant
This book gives a voice to the female perspective and deeper understanding of the brutality of historical events. The Trojan war is a story that’s well known, but only the story of men, this book lets the women be heard.

Brilliant book!

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the strength of the female characters were embodied by prose of such quality that I was emerged from the start, and enhanced by narration that gave soul and life to the story

hope in hopeless times

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How fascinating and enjoyable to find yourself in a Greek tragedy observing the characters that have influenced our world for so long.

Immersive Greek/Trogan story

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this book is highly recommended. a believable and engaging story. The story was beautifully told.

I loved this book

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Troy and Archilles through the eyes of the women captors. Fascinating, infuriating and a great listen. Highly recommend.

Trojan War through womens eyes.

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