Circe

Circe, the critically acclaimed novel by Madeline Miller, reimagines the legendary life of Circe, the powerful enchantress from Greek mythology. In the house of Helios, god of the sun, a daughter is born. Circe is a peculiar child, neither mighty like her father nor beautiful and cunning like her mother. Scorned and rejected, she grows up in the shadows, belonging to neither the world of gods nor mortals. As Circe discovers her darker powers—practising witchcraft, casting potent spells, brewing magical potions, and taming wild beasts—her talents threaten the deities, leading to her banishment on the remote island of Aiaia.

On Aiaia, Circe hones her mystical abilities and embraces her solitude, yet a woman who stands alone is inevitably a magnet for both friend and foe. Unexpectedly, her island becomes a sanctuary for various mythical beings and mortals, including the cunning hero Odysseus, for whom Circe dares to risk everything. Her interactions with Odysseus, and others who cross her path, lead to a series of profound encounters that reshape her understanding of her powers, her identity, and her place in a world ruled by men and gods alike.

Madeline Miller's Circe weaves a compelling tale of family strife, love's elusive nature, and the fraught journey from isolation to self-acceptance. The novel is a vivid, spellbinding epic capturing the timeless struggle of a woman's steadfast pursuit of empowerment and agency amidst a patriarchal cosmos. Circe's story emerges as an indomitable anthem of resilience, echoing through the annals of mythological lore.

The international Number One bestseller from the author of The Song of Achilles, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Woman. Witch. Myth. Mortal. Outcast. Lover. Destroyer. Survivor. CIRCE.

THE NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Chosen as a Book of the Year by the Guardian, Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph, I Paper, Sunday Express, Irish Times, Times Literary Supplement, Amazon, Audible, BuzzFeed, Refinery 29, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Seattle Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, People, Entertainment Weekly, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Goodreads.