Helen of Troy by Margaret George (2006, Unabridged, Compact Disc)

The face that launched a thousand ships acquires an engaging, intelligent and surprisingly guileless voice in George’s sweeping novel. Daughter of Leda and the god Zeus, her historical significance prophesized, Helen is sheltered as a child so as to cheat the Fates. It is not until she nears marriageable age that she is told the secret of her divine heritage and catches a first glimpse of her appearance. She marries young to feel less isolated, choosing Menelaus whom, she hopes, will be both a partner and friend. Instead, she finds only disappointment. Helen meets 15 year-old Paris when she is 24, and her dormant capacity for passion awakens into a defining revelation. Neither her position nor her husband and daughter can deter her from eloping and yielding to her destiny. Although this book is filled with fascinating period details, it is first and foremost a love story, and George goes to great lengths to make readers understand the depth of Helen’s feelings well enough to forgive her transgressions. Appropriately, Eyre tells Helen’s story in a voice that never loses its girlish wonderment, even as it grows, as Helen does, in confidence and authority.

Great Great book. This is a beautifully written epic and I love long, long books on CD. Makes history come alive.