Books like 'Happy Land'
Readers who enjoyed Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy north-america north-carolina historical-fiction usa family social-commentary rural poc-mc
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The Reindeer Hunters by Lars Mytting
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Reindeer Hunters is the second in a thrilling historical trilogy that began with The Bell in the Lake.The year is 1903, and twenty-two years have passed since Astrid Hekne died in childbirth. Her son Jehans lives on a modest smallholding up in the hills near Butangen, having withdrawn from his community...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction fiction historical magical-realism audiobook fantasy book -
![Mayluna by Kelley McNeil]()
Mayluna by Kelley McNeil
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA legendary band, an iconic lead singer, and their mysterious connection to a woman whose love helped create the music of a generation. Timing is everything in a powerful novel about fate, regret, and moving on by the author of A Day Like This.In the 1990s, Carter Wills was the lead singer of the English alt-rock band Mayluna, securing his place among music legends... -
![Summer by Laurence E. Dahners]()
Summer by Laurence E. Dahners
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe third book in the Bonesetter series, a pre historical account of Pell, a boy in a primitive society who learns to "set bones." In this third story he’s become the de facto leader of the Cold Springs tribe, though he still resists the mantle. The tale follows his invention of such things as the spear thrower, chimney and the beginnings of agriculture...Categorized as:
historical-fiction slavery action-adventure adult book fiction historical prehistoric -
![The Journeys of Socrates: An Adventure by Dan Millman]()
The Journeys of Socrates: An Adventure by Dan Millman
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe international bestselling author is bck with a page-turning tale of the origins of the peaceful warriorIn the heart of nineteenth century Tsarist Russia an orphaned boy born of both Jewish and Cossack blood desperately seeks to find a place in a dangerous world. Sergei Ivanov’s (Socrates’) journey from a military academy to America is a spellbinding and tragic odyssey of courage and love...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure book fiction historical -
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![The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, Evie Gaughan]()
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, Evie Gaughan
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOn a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction family female-mc romance fantasy fiction magical-realism -
![Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 2 of 2 by Luo Guanzhong]()
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 2 of 2 by Luo Guanzhong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis epic saga of brotherhood and rivalry, of loyalty and treachery, of victory and death, forms part of the indelible core of classical Chinese culture and continues to fascinate modern-day readers.In 220 EC, the 400-year-old rule of the mighty Han dynasty came to an end and three kingdoms contested for control of China... -
![Gladiator by Dewey Gram, William Nicholson]()
Gladiator by Dewey Gram, William Nicholson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRidley Scott brings the splendour of Ancient Rome to the big screen, with Russell Crowe as the Roman general who wreaks vengeance on the man who rules the Roman empire. The film is released on 19th May 2000...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction action-adventure adult book fiction historical male-author -
![A Conspiracy of Mothers by Colleen van Niekerk]()
A Conspiracy of Mothers by Colleen van Niekerk
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom a bold new voice in literary fiction comes a compelling story of three mothers whose lives intersect during a generation-defining period in South Africa’s history.The year is 1994, and South Africa is in political turmoil as its first democratic election looms...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction poc-mc female-mc family fiction magical-realism historical -
![The Jane Austen Collection: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Northanger Abbey (Collins Classics) by Jane Austen]()
The Jane Austen Collection: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Northanger Abbey (Collins Classics) by Jane Austen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNo library's complete without the classics! This new, enhanced leather-bound edition collects some of the most popular works of beloved author Jane Austen.Jane Austen's stories of clever women, elusive love, and social mores have struck a chord with millions of fans who consider her work compelling, heartwarming, and essential...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction adult anthologies classics female-author -
![There is Always a Tomorrow by Anna Belfrage]()
There is Always a Tomorrow by Anna Belfrage
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt is 1692 and the Colony of Maryland is still adapting to the consequences of Coode’s Rebellion some years previously. Religious tolerance in the colony is now a thing of the past, but safe in their home, Alex and Matthew Graham have no reason to suspect they will become embroiled in the ongoing religious conflicts—until one of their sons betrays their friend Carlos Muñoz to the authorities...Categorized as:
north-america usa historical-fiction maryland time-travel sci-fi fiction early-modern -
![Gullah Secrets by Susan Gabriel]()
Gullah Secrets by Susan Gabriel
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA family legacy in danger. A stranger in their midst. Do they have the strength to survive the gathering storm of secrets? For the Temple women, the winds of change are blowing. And if they’re not careful, it could sweep them all away…After rising from Temple servant to tea shop owner, Violet finally feels in charge of her destiny... -
![The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman]()
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt's never too late for new beginnings.On the cusp of turning eighty, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs—an active senior community in southern Florida—she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s old pharmacy—and the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier...Categorized as:
north-america usa historical-fiction literary-fiction female-mc family florida urban -
![The People Could Fly: The Picture Book by Virginia Hamilton]()
The People Could Fly: The Picture Book by Virginia Hamilton
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“THE PEOPLE COULD FLY,” the title story in Virginia Hamilton’s prize-winning American Black folktale collection, is a fantasy tale of the slaves who possessed the ancient magic words that enabled them to literally fly away to freedom... -
![The Garden of the Departed Cats by Bilge Karasu]()
The Garden of the Departed Cats by Bilge Karasu
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn an ancient Mediterranean city, a tradition is maintained: every ten years an archaic game of human chess is staged, the players (visitors versus locals) bearing weapons. This archaic game, the central event of The Garden of the Departed Cats, may prove as fatal as the deadly attraction our narrator feels for the local man who is the Vizier, or Captain, of the home team...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book fiction historical lgbtq -
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![The Strongman and the Mermaid by Kathleen Shoop]()
The Strongman and the Mermaid by Kathleen Shoop
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings2019 Donora, PennsylvaniaNinety-one-year-old Patryk Rusek hides in his attic, hoping the searchers think he’s escaped. When Lucy finally bursts in, she discovers her beloved grandfather clutching a fat, hand-illustrated, antique book. In it is the story of Donora, the town that shaped America, its people and Patryk himself... -
![The Truth About Awiti by C.P. Patrick]()
The Truth About Awiti by C.P. Patrick
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThere is a commonly held belief the tropical storms and hurricanes that form off the coast of West Africa are not natural disasters, but rather they are retaliation by restless spirits impacted by one of the darkest chapters of world history—the trans–Atlantic slave trade. Awiti’s destiny was forever changed the day the slave raiders arrived at her village... -
![The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry]()
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed.In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book christian -
![The Devil's Slave by Tracy Borman]()
The Devil's Slave by Tracy Borman
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAt the end of The King’s Witch, the first book in Tracy Borman’s Stuart-era trilogy, Frances Gorges was pregnant with the child of her dead lover, Thomas Wintour, executed for his role as a conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Now, in The Devil’s Slave, Frances is compelled to return to the dissolute and dangerous court where she has been suspected of witchcraft... -
![Four Sisters by Val Wood]()
Four Sisters by Val Wood
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA powerful story about the bond of sisterhood and how it can triumph against any adversity, from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood.Hull, 1852. Matty has had to care for her three younger sisters ever since their mother’s death ten years ago. She and the girls’ beloved father have worked hard to keep the family together and now it’s time to celebrate as Matty turns eighteen...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family literary-fiction female-mc historical tragedy drama fantasy -
![Pirate by Steven Becker]()
Pirate by Steven Becker
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter decades at sea, pirate legend Jose' Gasparilla is prepared to retire. As he and his crew split their treasure, the promise of one final prize lures the ship back into action. Little do they know that the purported riches are nothing but a trap set by the fledgling U.S. Navy! With the crew decimated and the treasure scattered, a new leader must rise from the defeat...Categorized as:
north-america usa historical-fiction florida action-adventure fantasy fiction outlaws -
![Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold]()
Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIllus. in full color. Cassie, who flew above New York in Tar Beach, soars into the sky once more. This time, she and her brother Be Be meet a train full of people, and Be Be joins them. But the train departs before Cassie can climb aboard...Categorized as:
black-mc family historical-fiction poc-mc slavery social-commentary action-adventure book -
![The Book of Devices by İhsan Oktay Anar]()
The Book of Devices by İhsan Oktay Anar
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"He had sought to be the agent of all forces and actions on the Earth, and thus, just as he had transformed iron ingot into a music box, so had he strived to transform the Earth and all it contained into a machine." Ihsan Oktay Anar's 1996 novella, "The Book of Devices," is a skeleton key to the ever-inventive author's fictional world set in the Ottoman times...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book fiction historical fantasy -
![Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold]()
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsRinggold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular artwork resonates with color and texture...Categorized as:
black-mc family historical-fiction poc-mc action-adventure book children children-books -
![The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates]()
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here and here.Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage. When his mother was sold away, Hiram was robbed of all memory of her—but was gifted with a mysterious power. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves his life... -
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![La Maravilla by Alfredo Véa]()
La Maravilla by Alfredo Véa
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Buckeye Road wasn't much of a town, just a place where a pocked and pitted road met an invisible street....It was less that unincorporated, it was unknown..."Yet it is here in the desert outside the Phoenix city limits that Alfredo Vea, Jr., finds a world of marvels spilling out of the adobe homes, tar-paper shacks, rusted Cadillacs, and battered trailers that are otherwise known as "Buckeye...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction poc-mc rural 20th-century adult book coming-of-age -
![The Return of the Twelves by Pauline Clarke]()
The Return of the Twelves by Pauline Clarke
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn his new home a young boy finds twelve old wooden soldiers with definite personalities and a fascinating history that once belonged to the famous Bronte children...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction book children children-books classics fiction -
![Rising Dark by A.D. Koboah]()
Rising Dark by A.D. Koboah
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen the newly married Reverend Avery Wentworth embarks on a journey to the Americas to begin a new life, he foresees only joy ahead of him. But along with the shocking evils prevalent in a world of slavery, he comes against a much older, darker evil that steals his soul and turns him into a creature of the night. Cut off from humanity, he wanders through a wilderness of despair... -
![Beside the Ocean of Time by George Mackay Brown]()
Beside the Ocean of Time by George Mackay Brown
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this novel set on the fictitious island of Norday in the Orkneys, George Mackay Brown beckons us into the imaginary world of the young Thorfinn Ragnarson, the son of a crofter... -
![Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet, Elspeth Graham]()
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet, Elspeth Graham
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCarnegie Medalist Mal Peet and his wife, Elspeth Graham, team up for a captivating, lushly illustrated tale evoking a Chinese legend.A Junior Library Guild SelectionTashi lives in a tiny village at the foot of the mountains, below the tea plantations where her mother works. When her mother falls ill, Tashi goes alone to the plantation, hoping to earn money for the doctor... -
![Katerina's Wish by Jeannie Mobley]()
Katerina's Wish by Jeannie Mobley
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this moving debut, an immigrant girl discovers that hard work and determination can make dreams come true.Katerina has a dream. It's her papa's dream, too. Her family came to America to buy their own farm. But a year later, Papa is still working in the dangerous coal mine. Each day, the farm seems farther away.Then Katerina is reminded of the carp that granted three wishes in an old folktale... -
![Daughters of the Stone by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa]()
Daughters of the Stone by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt is the mid-1800s. Fela, taken from Africa, is working at her second sugar plantation in colonial Puerto Rico, where her mistress is only too happy to benefit from her impressive embroidery skills. But Fela has a secret...Categorized as:
historical-fiction slavery poc-mc literary-fiction family fiction magical-realism historical -
![Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King]()
Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSet amongst the scandal, wealth, and upstairs-downstairs politics of a Roman family, Crystal King’s seminal debut features the man who inspired the world’s oldest cookbook and the ambition that led to his destruction.On a blistering day in the twenty-sixth year of Augustus Caesar’s reign, a young chef, Thrasius, is acquired for the exorbitant price of twenty thousand denarii... -
![A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power, Susan Power]()
A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power, Susan Power
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award–winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day... -
![People of the Longhouse by W. Michael Gear, Kathleen O'Neal Gear]()
People of the Longhouse by W. Michael Gear, Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBorn in a time of violent upheaval, young Odion and his little sister, Tutelo, live in fear that one day Yellowtail Village will be attacked. When that day comes and Odion and Tutelo are marched away as slaves, Odion's only hope is that his parents are tracking them, coming to rescue them.They are... -
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![Cinder Bella by Kathleen Shoop]()
Cinder Bella by Kathleen Shoop
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS--ROMANCEShe never had anything.He lost everything.Together they create a Christmas to remember.December, 1893--Shadyside, PennsylvaniaBella Darling lives in a cozy barn at Maple Grove, an estate owned by industrialist Archibald Westminster...Categorized as:
historical-fiction female-mc literary-fiction romance fiction historical fantasy enemies-to-lovers -
![Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper]()
Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDeploying the same gripping plot dynamics and unforgettable sense of time and place that she used in the bestselling Wolf Den trilogy, Harper tells the thrilling story of the child of one of Ancient Rome's most implacable foes, Boudicca.There is more than one way for a woman to fight. From the author of the bestselling Wolf Den Trilogy... -
![The Fountain by John A. Heldt]()
The Fountain by John A. Heldt
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPortland, Oregon. In May 2022, the Carpenters are a sad lot. Bill, 81, has just buried his beloved wife. Paul, 75, has terminal lung cancer. Annie, 72, is a paraplegic with broken dreams. Childless and directionless, the siblings face an uncertain future in their childhood home... -
![Haifischfrauen by Kiana Davenport]()
Haifischfrauen by Kiana Davenport
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThis expansive and engrossing multigenerational saga details the history of Hawaii through the experiences of one family. It begins in the 19th century with the dramatic meeting of a young Yankee sailor and a beautiful Tahitian princess... -
![Shiva's Fire by Suzanne Fisher Staples]()
Shiva's Fire by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNewbery Honor author Suzanne Fisher Staples turns to India for her newest novel, published to starred reviews, about a young girl whose destiny calls her to dance...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction poc-mc audiobook book children children-books -
![I Am One of You Forever by Fred Chappell]()
I Am One of You Forever by Fred Chappell
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWonderfully funny and also deeply touching, I Am One of You Forever is the story of a young boy's coming of age...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction rural book coming-of-age fiction historical -
![Strongheart: The Lost Journals of May Dodd and Molly McGill by Jim Fergus]()
Strongheart: The Lost Journals of May Dodd and Molly McGill by Jim Fergus
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStrongheart is the final installment to the One Thousand White Women trilogy, a novel about fierce women who are full of heart and the power to survive.In 1873, a Cheyenne chief offers President Grant the opportunity to exchange one thousand horses for one thousand white women, in order to marry them with his warriors and create a lasting peace...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction poc-mc adult alternate-history book fiction -
![Corridor of Storms by William Sarabande]()
Corridor of Storms by William Sarabande
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPanoramic, authentic, explosively dramatic--this is the breathtaking new series The First Americans, which began with Book I, Beyond The Sea Of Ice. Now the heroic great hunter Torka, his woman Lonit, and his adopted son Karana emerge from a land forbidden to all men, a land where mountains walk and spirits speak... -
![Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen]()
Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCoretta Scott King Honor Book Thunder Rose vows to grow up to be more than just big and strong, thank you very kindly--and boy, does she ever! But when a whirling storm on a riotous rampage threatens, has Rose finally met her match? Jerdine Nolen's wondrous tale and Kadir Nelson's outstanding illustrations bring to life this larger-than-life story about a resilient young girl who overcomes... -
![Enthralled by Emma Prince]()
Enthralled by Emma Prince
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe is bound by honor… Eirik is eager to plunder the treasures of the fabled lands to the west in order to secure the future of his village. The one thing he swears never to do is claim possession over another human being. But when he journeys across the North Sea to raid the holy houses of Northumbria, he encounters a dark-haired beauty, Laurel, who stirs him like no other...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction adult ancient-civilization book europe fiction -
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![The Grand Masquerade by Amanda Hughes]()
The Grand Masquerade by Amanda Hughes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor readers who like historical fiction with a little romance. It is a life built on secrets, lust, and lies, and Sydnee Sauveterre is at the center of the charade. Used as a source of income at a stand on the Natchez Trace, Sydnee escapes to start a new life in Louisiana... -
![The Book of Echoes by Rosanna Amaka]()
The Book of Echoes by Rosanna Amaka
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNarrated by the soul of an African slave woman, this is a searing debut novel of hope, redemption and the scars of history. While giving thanks at a shrine in Africa over two hundred years ago, a young woman tosses her infant son to safety moments before she is hauled away by slavers. After a brutal sea passage, her baby girl is snatched steaming from her loins as she gives birth...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction poc-mc female-mc fiction historical magical-realism audiobook -
![The Reindeer Hunters by Joan Wolf]()
The Reindeer Hunters by Joan Wolf
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen a fierce band of British tribes arrives in the Pyrenees mountains, the native tribes, faced with the loss of their livelihood, unite to fight the newcomers for their very survival. This is the third novel in a prehistoric trilogy...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction poc-mc adult book fiction historical indigenous-mc -
![Rootwork by Tracy Cross]()
Rootwork by Tracy Cross
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSet in a small parish in Louisiana in 1889, Rootwork follows sisters, Betty, Ann and Pee Wee. When school lets out for the summer, the girls head off to stay with their hoodoo-practicing aunt, Theodora, an empowered woman equally feared and revered by the local townspeople. They learn how to make “hot foot powder” and the secrets of a good “black cat bone”... -
![The Arrival of Missives by Aliya Whiteley]()
The Arrival of Missives by Aliya Whiteley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe Arrival of Missives is a genre-defying story of fate, free-will and the choices we make in life. In the aftermath of the Great War, Shirley Fearn dreams of challenging the conventions of rural England, where life is as predictable as the changing of the seasons. The scarred veteran Mr...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction adult anthologies coming-of-age feminism fiction -
![Elektra by Jennifer Saint]()
Elektra by Jennifer Saint
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.ClytemnestraThe sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon - her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction adult ancient-civilization audiobook book
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