Paperspine Blog

We all know about Helen of Troy, whose beauty was the main cause of the Trojan War. But, we know very little of her younger years. How did she feel about mainly being the thought of as  “the face that launched a thousand ships”? What other qualities and skills did she possess? What were her childhood and young adult years like?

Nobody’s Princess, by Esther Friesner, sets out to answer those questions. We first meet Helen as a very young child. She’s given special privileges and allowed to get away with things her siblings don’t, in part because she’s so pretty and in part, of course, because she’s going to be the future queen. But Helen doesn’t care as much about being pretty as she does about some other things. She doesn’t enjoy “traditional women’s activities” and wants to be able to be a warrior – something women just didn’t do. At one point in the book, she is trying to race her older brother, Polydeuces, and she loses.

Here’s a small excerpt about what she realizes that day:

By the time I gave up trying to catch him and went trailing back to my room, I knew three things.

Even if I was pretty, it wasn’t going to be enough to bring me the life I wanted: one where I was free to make choices that mattered, one where people listened to what I had to say.

Aphrodite had the beauty; Zeus had that thunderbolts. Everyone love Aphrodite, but everyone listened to Zeus.

I’d never get my hands on a thunderbolt, so if I wanted to be free, I’d better find a way to get my hands on the next best thing: a sword.

As Helen sets out to try to become a warrior, she must hide everything. Even at first, when she is only trying to learn to run as fast as her brothers, she has to do it where other’s can’t see her. Eventually, she is able to do some training with her brothers, though Helen, her brothers, and their teacher, Glaucus, must keep it a secret from everyone else.

When Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, gets married,  something happens that causes Helen to set off on a fantastic adventure.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The story was fascinating and had the sort of feel that a lot of epic stories do – many things happen, but not so many that you become confused. The ending of the book leaves some questions unanswered – and encourages you to pick up the next book, Nobody’s Prize, to find out what happens to Helen next.