Friesner, Esther. Nobody's princess

Kliatt, May, 2008 by Claire Rosser

FRIESNER, Esther. Nobody's princess. Random House. 305p. map. c2007. 978-0-375-87529-8. $7.99. JS

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, May 2007: Who was Helen before she was Helen of Troy? Friesner tells about Helen's childhood and ends the story just as Helen is entering adulthood--in Bronze Age Greece, this is at puberty. Friesner tells of Atalanta, Theseus, Castor and Polydeuces, Clytemnestra. She writes of the importance of the gods in the lives of these people--of Artemis and Aphrodite, of Zeus. She reminds readers in her note at the end that the events in this story were meant to happen nearly 1000 years before the Parthenon, the dramatists, and the war between Athens and Sparta--what we identify as Classical Greece. Helen's story is from the ancient oral traditions recorded by Homer centuries before the Parthenon was built. Friesner even begins before Homer's recounting of the story of Helen in The Iliad--a story that portrays Helen as a beautiful pawn in the more "important" story of war and heroes. Friesner makes Helen a strong young woman, savvy to the political tensions, eager to learn physical skills such as hunting and riding. She is beloved by her older brothers, who include her in their adventures. Friesner points out that the traditions of Sparta some years later included training young women for war and promoting physical endurance. This story will please readers interested in ancient Greek legends. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.