#Blogtour Hera by Jennifer Saint

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Hera by Jennifer Saint.

'From the No. 1 bestselling author of Ariadne, Elektra and Atalanta - From Jennifer Saint, the queen of the mythological retelling, comes the captivating story of Greek mythology’s most famous wife.'

About the Author

Jennifer Saint grew up reading Greek mythology and was always drawn to the untold stories hidden within the myths. After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote Ariadne, which tells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur from the perspective of Ariadne - the woman who made it happen. Ariadne was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was a Waterstones Book of the Month, as well as being a Sunday Times bestseller. 

Jennifer Saint is now a full-time author, living in Yorkshire, with her husband and two children. Her second novel, Elektra, and third novel, Atalanta, were number one Sunday Times bestsellers. Follow @jennysaint on X

About the book

When the immortal goddess Hera helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, the ancient Titan Cronos, she dreams of ruling the world at his side. But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see another side to Zeus, a side just as ruthless and cruel as Cronos was. She was clearly born to rule, but does that mean perpetuating a cycle of violence and cruelty that has existed since the dawn of time? Will assuming her power mean that Hera loses herself or can she find a way to forge a better world?

Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and most importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.

Review

The author gives the reader the version of Hera which is left unsaid, taking it all a step back to comprehend the reaction to what was done unto her in the first place. We usually hear or read the result, which depicts the vengeful, angered women full of jealous rage and spite. Instead Saint takes us back to the root cause - how Hera was defined by the choices of others. How patriarchy also rules mythology, because it is easier to sell the image of a scorned and angry woman than a character who defends herself and keeps her own self safe by reacting to the threat or perceived threat.

I wonder how many readers, especially women, walk away from this thinking - oh wait, she is more than just the bitter representation the patriarchy wants us to see and remember. In fact isn't her story indicative of the narrative we are told about older women, scorned women and women who are just a little too noisy for society. Let's gaslight them to hide the truth behind the anger, let's dismiss them to distract from the truth, and let's create a narrative that makes them the villain in every story, because we wouldn't want the truth to be discovered when someone scratches the surface.

I really enjoy the way this author captures both the magic, the folklore, the heavy truths and the story from all angles, when it comes to Greek mythology. The journey from end result, expectation and hardwired knowledge, becomes undone when the light is shone into the darkest corners of Hera's story. It makes her many reactionary tales so much more understandable. A fantastic read.

Buy Hera at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Wildfire; Hardback, eBook, Audio | £20.00 - pub date 23 May 2024. Buy at Amazon com.