The Voyage Home - Pat Barker

Pat Barker continues her masterful retelling of ancient myth in The Voyage Home, the gripping sequel to The Women of Troy. After a decade of war, Troy has fallen, and Cassandra, the cursed prophetess and daughter of Priam, is taken as a war prize by King Agamemnon.

As she sails toward Mycenae, haunted by visions of death and destruction, she is joined by her maid Ritsa, a silent observer of grief, rage, and the slow unraveling of fate.

Meanwhile, in Mycenae, Queen Clytemnestra waits. Fueled by rage over the sacrifice of her daughter Iphigenia, she plots her husband's return with cold determination.

What unfolds is a chilling, psychologically charged homecoming—where destiny, vengeance, and prophecy shape the lives of women long silenced by myth.

Main Themes of the Book

• Feminist Retelling: Reclaims the voices of Cassandra, Ritsa, and Clytemnestra
• War and Its Aftermath: Focus on post-war trauma, loss, and survival
• Prophecy and Madness: Cassandra’s visions blur lines between sanity and foresight
• Power and Patriarchy: Explores systemic violence and male dominance in myth
• Revenge and Justice: Clytemnestra’s calculated plan centers female rage and grief

Why You Should Read This Book By Pat Barker

• Written by Booker Prize-winner Pat Barker, acclaimed for her mythic retellings
• Offers a sharp feminist lens on the aftermath of the Trojan War
• Brings emotional depth and psychological realism to ancient characters
• Perfect for fans of Natalie Haynes, Jennifer Saint, and Madeline Miller
• Thought-provoking, literary, and emotionally powerful

The Voyage Home is more than a continuation of myth—it's a retelling that restores voice and agency to the women behind the legends. Pat Barker reshapes the epic into something raw, intimate, and unforgettable. A must-read for lovers of feminist historical fiction.