Circe (2018) by Madeline Miller is a spellbinding reimagining of Greek mythology that breathes new life into the titular sorceress from Homer’s Odyssey. The novel traces Circe’s journey from her origins as the scorned daughter of the sun god Helios to her exile on the island of Aiaia, where she hones her witchcraft and encounters legendary figures—the cunning Odysseus, the tragic Daedalus, and the vengeful Medea.
Miller’s prose is luminous and lyrical, transforming Circe from a sidelined nymph into a fiercely independent woman grappling with power, mortality, and the complexities of love. Themes of agency, otherness, and the price of immortality pulse through the narrative, culminating in Circe’s hard-won self-actualization.
A New York Times bestseller and feminist triumph, Circe is a testament to the enduring power of myth—and the voices history overlooked.
