Goddess of Yesterday

Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B Cooney published by Random House and Recorded Books, 2003.

We're taking a break from mystery today and stepping back in time to the ancient world.

I was vaguely familiar with the Trojan War from selections I’d read in high school and college (why was it again that I took Latin in high school - oh yeah, it was so I could wear a toga at the Junior Classical League competitions!)

I was fascinated by Greek mythology stories during my childhood and that movie, Clash of the Titans.

Trust me, this book is SO MUCH better than that. I was very impressed by the way Cooney is able to explode a scene with description, building a complete image from the sparse passages of the old stories. Cooney also has a gift for revealing character – long before Helen is unfaithful, the reader learns she is not to be trusted. Likewise, the character of Andromeke is revealed with just a few sentences as a comforting friend for the protagonist Annexandra. I was sad to leave this story when it ended. Cooney also includes an author’s note explaining just which parts of the novel came from the traditional myths and which parts she invented. I listened to the audio version, which was excellent. A paperback edition was just released last month.