“It is fair to say that Aspasia had quite a life”

Mining the wealth of material that Greek history provides is a path that many authors have trodden in recent years but when the stories are as compelling as Peter Taylor-Gooby’s The Immigrant Queen, it is easy to see why Ancient Greece is a destination for many looking for inspiration.

The Immigrant Queen in question here is Aspasia, who was celebrated as the First Lady of Athens before seemingly being forgotten by the annals of history… until now, that is.

It is fair to say that Aspasia had quite a life, being the passionate lover of Pericles, being the only woman member of Socrates’ circle, and the model for Athene on the Parthenon.

It is one of those stories in which real-life is can seem more unbelievable than the wildest fiction but Peter has brought Aspasia back to life and delivered her to a generation of readers who are devouring the plethora of novels that retell the lives of characters from thousands of years ago.

There is plenty of opportunity for myth and fact to be blended in a new retelling of a life long forgotten by history, but Peter has added Aspasia back to those who love to spend their reading time among the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece.

The action rips on at a fair pace, which is probably because there is so much in the life of Aspasia that it could have drifted into a brick of a book. The fact that it is a story of around 350 pages means that the reader will be hooked in and not allowed off the ride until the whole story has been consumed.

If you have enjoyed Jennifer Saint and/or Natalie Haynes, then you will enjoy this, and that feels recommendation enough.