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Sweetbitter Song

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Brought to you by Penguin.

One fateful night in Sparta, a young slave girl encounters a mysterious, grey-eyed princess. Melantho and Penelope, though from different worlds, are instantly connected. But betrayal soon tears them apart.

Years later, on Ithaca's rocky shores, Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Hardened by slavery, Melantho vows to stay distant from Penelope. Yet, the undeniable pull between them proves stronger than ever.

As war ignites Greece, Odysseus and Ithaca's men are called away and, in their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her – one where women rule, where family can be found, and where love is finally given the space to bloom.

But all wars eventually end and as Troy falls, Penelope and Melantho must face the King’s return and decide how far they will go to protect what matters most to them.

© Rosie Hewlett 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Critics Review

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
An extraordinary book. 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 as dazzling as Madeline Miller's reimagining of the Iliad in Song of Achilles'
Elodie Harper
A stunning tale of defiance, integrity and enduring love. Crafted with complexity and woven with reverent yearning
Kika Hatzopoulou, Sunday Times bestselling author of Threads That Bind
Utterly heartbreaking and achingly beautiful. What The Song of Achilles did for The Iliad, Sweetbitter Song does for The Odyssey, which is give us a love story that transcends time, myth and place. A masterclass in mythic retelling.
Kim Curran
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 [...] will tear you to pieces and mend you again. Hewlett remakes the Odyssey, re-weaving the threads of the narrative with women you will not forget, in a tale of beauty and brutality. This is a gorgeous, scintillating re-imagining that shimmers.
Emily Hauser, award winning author of Mythica

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