Homer's Daughter - Paperback

Homer's Daughter by Robert Graves

Homer's Daughter presents Robert Graves' provocative literary theory through compelling fiction: that Nausicaa, a character from the Odyssey, was the epic's true author. This historical novel challenges the traditional attribution to the blind, bearded Homer, whose Iliad predates the Odyssey by at least 150 years.

A Bold Literary Reimagining

Graves combines historical speculation with protofeminist storytelling to create a radical modern classic. The novel reconstructs the circumstances that led Nausicaa to compose the Odyssey and reveals how she, as an honorary Daughter of Homer, secured its place in the official literary canon.

Set in ancient Sicily, the story follows a high-spirited, religious-minded girl who refuses to wait passively for fate to decide her future. Instead, she takes bold action to save her father's throne from usurpers, escape an unwanted marriage, and protect her two younger brothers from assassination. Through strategic thinking and courage, Nausicaa shapes her own destiny while crafting one of literature's most enduring epics.

Part of the Robert Graves Project

This edition belongs to Seven Stories' comprehensive Robert Graves Project, spanning 14 titles across fiction, nonfiction, and books for various age groups. The collection features striking uniform design with new introductions and afterwords. Homer's Daughter joins recently republished works including The Reader Over Your Shoulder and Ann at Highwood Hall, with future releases planned for Count Belisarius, Hebrew Myths, and Lawrence and the Arabs.

About Robert Graves

Robert Graves (1895-1985) was a distinguished English poet, novelist, critic, translator, and classical mythology scholar. His World War I service, documented in his 1929 autobiography Good-Bye to All That, profoundly influenced his writing. He served as the first professor of English literature at the University of Cairo and gained lasting recognition for his historical novels about Roman emperor Claudius: I, Claudius and Claudius the God. His scholarly works include The White Goddess, The Hebrew Myths, and Collected Poems.

The introduction is written by Michael Wood, professor emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at Princeton, author of Alfred Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much (2015), On Empson (2017), and The Habits of Distraction (2018).

This paperback edition offers readers access to Graves' unique blend of classical scholarship, historical imagination, and narrative craft, making ancient Mediterranean literature accessible through a fresh, feminist perspective.