Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award

Waterstones best book of the year 2023

‘A remarkable feat of storytelling’ Rosie Hewlett

This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventureseveryones favourite hero, right?

Wrong.

This is the story of everyone else:

Alcmene:Hercs mother(She has knives everywhere)

Hylas:Hercs first friend(They were more than friends)

Megara:Hercs wife(Shell tell you about their marriage)

Eurystheus:Oversaw Hercs labours(He never asked for the job)

His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims.

Its time to hear their stories.