Pat Barker’s latest novel, *The Voyage Home*, is a compelling continuation of her acclaimed “Women of Troy” series. This third novel is focused on the character of Cassandra, the Trojan prophetess cursed to never be believed, and her maid Ritsa as they are taken away from Troy by the victorious Greeks. The novel explores themes of power, trauma, and retribution with a feminist slant, which is in keeping with the other novels in the trilogy. I loved the complexity of Cassandra’s character and the exploration of tensions around King Agamemnon’s return. I also enjoyed seeing Clytemnestra from a different angle as she comes to terms of the murder of her daughter and her long anticipated plan for revenge.
In true Pat Barker style (I LOVED her Regeneration trilogy for this reason), her focus on historical detail is immaculate and her writing richly captures the era and its players. As with most of the Greek Mythology re-tellings that are popular at the moment, the focus on the experience of the forgotten women very much appeals to me and I love how Barker brings their stories to life.
Perhaps slightly different from her previous two novels is the supernatural element to this one. I’m not sure how I feel about it. I don’t think it quite fit with the rest of the novel; having said that, I think the story that it relates to within the novel (no spoilers), is so grotesque and abominable that I can see how it might create spectral shockwaves across time and space. The supernatural elements were truly haunting to me and, as a mum and a woman, I’ve continued to think of them long after finishing the novel. In that respect, maybe they did belong within the overall story of The Voyage Home. Overall, I thought this was a very fitting third novel and one which I’ve been looking forward to ever since I finished ‘The Silence of the Girls’ and ‘The Women of Troy’. It did not disappoint.
‘The Voyage Home’ by Pat Barker is due to be released on 22/08/24. Thanks to Penguin for the proof copy.
