Sweetbitter Song

Rosie Hewlett

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Book cover for Sweetbitter Song
Image for variant 9781728299044
Book cover for Sweetbitter Song
Image for variant 9781728299044

Sweetbitter Song

Sweetbitter Song

Rosie Hewlett

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Description

Perfect for fans of The Song of Achilles and from the award-winning author of The Witch of Colchis comes a profoundly moving story of two women on the shores of Ithaca, in the shadows of a legendary war, who must face their own battle - one of sisterhood, survival, and a forbidden love that could destroy them both.

One summer night, within the palace of Sparta, a young slave girl stumbles across a grey-eyed princess. Despite living worlds apart, Melantho and Penelope are instantly drawn to one another, and a powerful friendship blossoms. But the Spartan royals do not approve of this bond, and soon Melantho and Penelope find themselves viciously torn apart, their trust irreparably shattered.

Years later, their paths cross once again upon the rocky shores of Ithaca, where Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Embittered by life as a slave, Melantho is determined to keep her distance. But, once again, the two women find themselves drawn to one other, pulled by the echo of their friendship, and something far stronger they are too afraid to name.

When war blazes across Greece, Odysseus and the men of Ithaca are driven to foreign lands. In their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her - one where women rule, where family can be found, and where a forbidden love is finally given the space to bloom.

A profound tale of love, identity and defiance, Sweetbitter Song tells a story forgotten by history. One of bravery and hope, celebrating two women who fought to protect their love from a world that tried to deny its very existence.

Critical Reviews

"An exquisitely heart-rending novel, lyrically told and utterly addictive. Melantho, a fierce and dazzling protagonist, rises from the shadows of mythology to command her own story - one that is original and beautifully crafted. This is Rosie Hewlett's masterpiece." --Jennifer Saint, #1 internationally bestselling author of Ariadne and Hera

"Sweetbitter Song is an extraordinary book. From the very first page the reader is plunged into another world, one that is both riveting and beautifully realized. I fell completely in love with Melantho and Penelope, whose intelligence, ferocity and humanity shine through all their joys and suffering. This is a truly original take on The Odyssey, comparable to Madeline Miller's reimagining of the Iliad in Song of Achilles - never less than brilliant in its inventive, intelligent conversation with the source." -- Elodie Harper, bestselling author of The Wolf Den

"With lyrical writing and deep empathy, Hewlett reimagines the overlooked figures of the Odyssey in a stunning tale of defiance, integrity and enduring love. Crafted with complexity and woven with reverent yearning, this is a story that lingers long after the final page. " -- Kika Hatzopoulou, Sunday Times bestselling author of Threads That Bind

"This book is equal parts visceral and haunting [...] A thrilling, gut-wrenching tale of grief, love, womanhood and bravery. Outstanding." -- Hazel McBride, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Fate Forged in Fire

"Sweetbitter Song is an epic story of love against the odds that gives voice to those often overlooked. In Melantho and Penelope, Rosie Hewlett has created characters who will remain with the reader long after the book is finished. " -- Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women

"To say Sweetbitter Song is an excellent addition to Hewlett's already mighty work as a mythologist and writer is an understatement. This book does everything I deeply desire from a sapphic myth retelling, it is elegantly tender and brutally beautiful to the point where the prose is lyrical...The fury, the power, the cadence of this story will stay with me for years to come - this book does what Song of Achilles did with stunning language and I applaud Hewlett for adding such a crucial and powerful book to the reclamation of women's stories in myth. Sappho herself would be proud." -- Nikita Gill, author of Hekate

"Rosie Hewlett has an unparalleled gift for immersing readers in the ancient world described so vividly in her novels. Sweetbitter Song breathes new life into the story of Penelope, long-suffering wife of Odysseus, seen here through the eyes of her slave Melantho. Melantho is determined, fiery, passionate and oh-so-human, and like Penelope, readers will be unable to help falling in love with her." -- Laura Shepperson

Publishing Information

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pub date: 2026-03-17
Length: 512 pages

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