No Friend To This House by Natalie Haynes

 

This is a retelling of the Jason and The Argonauts myth.  Jason volunteers for the task of hunting down and bringing home the golden fleece of which stories are told.  He is chosen as the leader of the Argonauts and after several harrowing adventures and the help of various gods and goddesses, he arrives at the kingdom of the king who owned the fleece.  This king's youngest daughter was Medea and she had magical powers.  In order to win the fleece, Jason was set various tasks by the king which he accomplished with the help of Medea.  When he got the fleece and was about to set sail for home, he took Medea with him in order to save her from the wrath of her father for helping Jason.

Medea and Jason marry on the journey but Medea soon comes to see Jason in his truth, not his legends.  He is actually a coward, quick to beg for help and take credit for achievements.  They arrive home and start a family but Medea is never accepted as she is a stranger and rumors swirl around her.  Finally, Jason decides to take another wife and put aside Medea and her children.  Medea is determined to get revenge for this.

Natalie Haynes is an English author whose work focuses on retelling the classic myths.  She has garnered great acclaim by doing so plus several awards such as being nominated for the Women's Prize In Literature.  In this work, it was interesting to see how Medea's view of Jason changed from seeing him as a beautiful man who was brave and strong to a coward and liar who only looked out for himself.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.