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The Wandering Queen: An enchanting feminist retelling of the story of fierce Queen Dido and her tragic love affair with Prince Aeneas from the bestselling author of The Daughters of Sparta

Claire Heywood

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'A beautifully woven tale with brilliant, confident writing, [Heywood] has illuminated the stories of ladies too often relegated to the role of villain or damsel' CLAIRE M ANDREWS

The King of Tyre is dead, his final words anointing his clever and strong-willed daughter, Elissa, as the new queen until his young son, Pygmalion, comes of age. But betrayal and danger soon haunt Elissa, and she is forced to flee the kingdom - exiled with a band of loyal followers and a broken heart.

After an arduous search for a new home, Elissa and her people settle in North Africa, and she is crowned Queen Dido: the ferocious and devoted ruler of her newly established city of Carthage. Soon a powerful trading hub, Carthage thrives under Dido's governance.

But when a band of Trojan survivors, led by the valiant Aeneas, washes up on a nearby shore, Queen Dido is reminded of a promise she made long ago, never to trust or to love another again. Can Dido overcome her past and open herself - and her city - up to Aeneas, or is their love doomed to burn everything to the ground?

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Praise for The Wandering Queen: An enchanting feminist retelling of the story of fierce Queen Dido and her tragic love affair with Prince Aeneas from the bestselling author of The Daughters of Sparta

  • PRAISE FOR CLAIRE HEYWOODA beautifully woven tale . . . with brilliant, confident writing, The Shadow of Perseus has illuminated the stories of ladies too often relegated to the role of villain or damselHeywood tells her story vividly, setting it convincingly in the period - Sunday TimesAn immersive, intimate take on a well-known tale. By focussing on the diverging fates of two sisters, Heywood reveals the private lives of these women to be just as compelling as the epic events unfolding around them.

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Claire Heywood

Claire Heywood

Claire Heywood is a scholar of the ancient world, having gained a 1st Class BA in Classical Civilisation and an MA with Distinction in Ancient Visual and Material Culture, along with two academic prizes, from the University of Warwick. Her writing is inspired by her love of mythology, her knowledge of ancient cultures, and her fascination with women's forgotten voices. Originally from Coventry, she now lives and writes in Bristol, UK.

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