What if the story of Oedipus and Antigone wasn’t quite how we remembered it? What if the voices we never heard were the ones that mattered most?
In The Children of Jocasta, Natalie Haynes returns to ancient Thebes with a bold and brilliant retelling of two of Greek tragedy’s most iconic tales. With the same compassionate insight and razor-sharp intelligence she brought to Stone Blind, Haynes once again gives voice to the women history tried to forget.
A Tale Told from the Shadows
Rather than simply retelling Sophocles’ plays, Haynes reimagines them. Through the eyes of two lesser-known figures, Jocasta and Ismene, we are drawn into a world where family, power and survival collide in devastating ways.
The result is a dual narrative that slips between timelines and perspectives. We follow Jocasta, a teenage bride married into a cursed royal house, and Ismene, the overlooked sister of Antigone, trying to make sense of a crumbling world. Their stories unfold like echoes across time, full of dread and inevitability, yet also tenderness and strength.
This isn’t a novel about gods and monsters. It’s about women forced to carry the weight of other people’s decisions. It’s about navigating a world that was never made for you and still finding ways to live, to love and to fight back.
Natalie Haynes at Her Best
Fans of Stone Blind will recognise Haynes’ signature style: lyrical yet grounded, rich in historical detail but always emotionally immediate. She doesn’t just retell myths. She breathes life into them.
In The Children of Jocasta, she strips back the spectacle and violence of Greek tragedy and puts the human experience front and centre. What would it really feel like to live through a plague? To fear the wrath of the gods? To watch your city fall apart under the weight of old sins?
By rooting her story in domestic life, in childbirth and family secrets, Haynes offers a refreshingly intimate take on a tale we thought we knew. The result is quietly powerful and deeply affecting.
Who Is This Book For?
If you loved The Marriage Portrait or The Island of Missing Trees, you’ll likely be drawn to the emotional depth and historical resonance of this book. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy myth retellings with a feminist lens, as well as anyone curious about the human side of epic stories.
It’s also a wonderful companion piece to Stone Blind, offering another window into the ancient world through a modern, empathetic lens.
Where to Buy The Children of Jocasta
If you’re ready to dive into the shadows of Thebes, you can find The Children of Jocasta on Amazon here.
There’s also a gorgeous hardback edition available, perfect if you’re building a collection of myth-inspired modern classics.
More Books Like This
If you enjoyed The Children of Jocasta, you might also like:
- Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes – the story of Medusa like you’ve never heard it before
- Books Set in Greece – more myth, history and Mediterranean magic
Further Reading
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