From a magical childhood in Kenya, through misery at an American high school, to rescue by an inspirational teacher in England, Victoria Whitworth weaves a sublimely rich narrative, which is both an ode to her beloved Greece and Corfu, and a highly original exploration of myth and legend. Her adventures in the often weird and unsettling world of a Corinth English language school, and the shattering experience of her rape by a Greek taxi driver, lead Victoria to question some deeply familiar stories. Did Agamemnon really kill his daughter Iphigenia, so the wind would fill their sails for Troy? Was beautiful Helen of Troy a powerful enchantress? Or a tragic victim? Was Theseus, the Minotaur slayer, a superhero, or a predatory rapist? Or were they all of these things? This beautiful memoir asks repeatedly where truth lies, and how, as women, we can survive violence and conquer fear.

I love this book. It has the texture of a dream on a hot summer’s night, as Victoria Whitworth’s vivid recollections of her youthful adventures (and shocking misadventures) commingle with stories from Greek legends to produce a memoir full of illuminating insights and startling ancient echoes. * Francis Wheen *

Praise for Swimming with Seals:
‘An extraordinary book’

* TLS *
Attentive, astute and beautiful... I adored it * Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun *
Wonderfully evocative... Fascinating... The writing is consistently alert and engaging * Scotsman *

Victoria Whitworth is a historian and bestselling author of Daughter of the Wolf and Swimming with Seals. She lives near Inverness, where she writes full time.