In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid

After 10 years of siege, Troy falls, and Aeneas begins his long journey in search of a new home. His travels lead him through danger, temptation and bloody conflict before he fulfils his part in the eventual founding of Rome. Lively's retelling is densely-peopled and moves at breath-taking speed, bewildering on first encounter but repaying closer, more measured reading. My 11-year-old, steeped in Greek mythology this year, revelled in it, wisely skipping the parts where too many new characters are named. Andrew illustrates the story beautifully, his coloured pencil drawings varying in mood and depth of colour to suit the action. I used the map of Aeneas's voyage often: I would have been grateful for an explanatory 'cast list' as well as the pronunciation guide to Greek names given. Not an easy introduction to the epic, then, but a good resource for teachers, or families willing to disentangle a complex tale.