Sweetbitter Song

A profoundly moving sapphic tale of love, identity and defiance that retells the love story of Penelope, one of Ancient Greece’s most famous heroines.

’This is Rosie Hewlett’s masterpiece‘ JENNIFER SAINT, bestselling author of Hera

’As dazzling as Madeline Miller’s reimagining of the Iliad in The Song of Achilles‘ ELODIE HARPER, bestselling author of The Wolf Den

’The fury, the power, the cadence of this story will stay with me for years to come … Sappho herself would be proud.’ NIKITA GILL, bestselling author of Hetake


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.


’A stunning tale of defiance, integrity and enduring love. Crafted with complexity and woven with reverent yearning‘ KIKA HATZOPOULOU, bestselling author of Threads That Bind

‘What The Song of Achilles did for The Iliad, Sweetbitter Song does for The Odyssey. A masterclass in mythic retelling’ KIM CURRAN, author of The Morrigan

’Visceral and haunting … Outstanding‘ HAZEL McBRIDE, bestselling author of A Fate Forged in Fire

’Will tear you to pieces and mend you again … a gorgeous, scintillating re-imagining.’ EMILY HAUSER, author of Mythica

Readers love Rosie’s writing…

‘This book is up there with Song of Achilles as one of my all-time favourite retellings’

‘Heart-breaking and beautiful’

‘Any readers of mythological retellings struggling to find a rival to Madeline Miller should look no further than Rosie Hewlett’

‘Absolutely spellbinding’

‘Dark, moody, at times heartbreaking, and utterly phenomenal, this book is an absolute must read for any fans of Circe or Ariadne!’