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Stealing Athena

Stealing Athena
by Karen Essex
Published in USA Jun 2008,
464 pages.

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Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Mary Ann
Women in History
I enjoyed this book on two levels. The first, for the parallel stories of two men trying to create history, and the second for two women who are taken along for the ride.
This story has many discussion points for women's roles, men's roles and how they play out throughout history. I think book clubs would like it.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Juliet
Stealing Athena- Really good historical fiction!
Stealing Athena does a great job of bringing to life the fascinating story of the controversial acquisition of ancient Greek marbles by Lord Elgin, the ambassador to Turkey, and his beautiful and vivacious wife, Mary. The story is interwoven with a parallel tale of Perikles and his lover, Aspasia, who presided over the marbles' construction.

Both tales make exciting the stranger-than-fiction realities of these events, with rich detail providing an in-depth glimpse into eras and societies far removed from our own. Not only are these stories inherently interesting, the book is written in a way that makes for a fun read. In addition, it is interesting how both women must cope with their powerless status as women in their societies, leading the reader to question how some of these cultural assumptions about women have persisted into our own time and culture, and how women continue to deal with them today. I enjoyed this book a lot - it was unique, informative, and enjoyable, and it will stay with me for a long while.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Cynthia
Stealing Athena
This was a wonderful book - Karen Essex has skillfully intertwined two timelines in order to bring to the reader a story rich with detail. The depth of the characters is enthralling and their involvement behind the plundering of precious artifacts makes this a MUST READ!

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Elsbeth
Stealing Athena, A Great Book
Stealing Athena was a joy to read, from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this book of historical fiction.

Mary Nisbet Elgin's story, set in the early 1800's is vividly told, while the author cleverly goes back to ancient Athen's Golden Age and weaves in the story of Aspasia, courtesan of Pericles. These two women, although living in very different times, showed strength and resourcefulness that will draw readers interested in women's advocacy issues. Greek mythology buffs will enjoy references to narratives of the gods and goddesses of ancient times.

I strongly recommend Stealing Athena to all adult book groups, as there are limitless topics of interest to discuss and ponder.

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Doris
Stealing Athena
I enjoyed this book which is based on the life of Mary Nisbet, countess of Elgin. The author skillfully compared Mary's life to Aspasia of ancient Athens.

This story led me to reread some of the history of Greece which is a mark of good historical fiction. I think it would lead to a good discussion in a women's book group.

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