Author:Marina Warner

When a mummy in the Museum of Albion is unpacked it is found to contain a bundle of curious objects and documents which tell of the wanderings of an unknown woman, Leto.
On the run, in a far-off era of civil strife, Leto gives birth to twins, shelters with wolves, survives in a desert stronghold as the lover of its commander, stows away on a ship loaded with plundered antiquities and then works as a maid in a war-torn city. She loses her son but saves her daughter during a long siege.
As the novel sweeps from mythological times and the Middle Ages to the treasure-hunting of Victorian Europe and into the present day, Leto reappears in different guises. Eventually she becomes a servant to a rock singer, and begins to search for her son.
A rewarding, incisive and topical novel
—— Sunday ExpressStimulating... vivid... a fascinating debate about the nature of mythology
—— Financial TimesA compelling and erudite meditation on exiles, refugees, loss and the search for a home. A timely, ambitious and inventive novel, which blends a reflection on Europe's past and present traumas with rare story-telling verve
—— Scotland on SundayWarner brilliantly communicates the kaleidoscope of cultures, tribes and nationalities encountered by Leto on her epic journey. Driven by a mystery that keeps the reader guessing to the final pages... Beautifully written, the language rich and sensuous, with a seductive range of references... Tremendous fun
—— Literary ReviewA compelling exploration of the terrain that is the human heart... an all too rare reminder of the reasons why someone might feel so strongly about a book
—— New York Times






