January's YA Pick

I recently enjoyed reading the YA novel Ithaka by Adele Geras. The story is about the time that Penelope spent waiting for Odysseus' return from the Trojan War, but it is not really from Penelope's point of view, for the most part, as I had thought. Some of the book is from Penelope's point of view and her poetic weaving sequences are mesmerizing, but most of the story is from the point of view of a young girl, a handmaiden who is like a daughter to Penelope. The book is interesting and well-written, with many ominous glimpses of members of the Greek Pantheon and their machinations. I have always been very interested in Penelope's story and have toyed with the idea of writing a novel about her myself. When I first heard about this novel, I figured that someone had beaten me to it, but, now that I have read it, I may still write my Penelope book after all. Geras' Penelope is a loyal, loving wife. My Penelope would be...very different, I think. More resentful.