The naive, pitiful Princess Ariadne of Crete who fell so madly in love with Prince Theseus of Athens that she aided him in evading the deadly jaws of the Minotaur, just to be abandoned on a deserted island. 

That is often the story that is associated with the Cretan Princess. For centuries, Theseus’s account was the only narrative that was told, time and time again. However, brought to life by author Jennifer Saint, Ariadne the novel offers readers a retelling of the famed Greek myth through a whole new lens. 

Tackling themes of relationships, patriarchy, and feminism, Saint does not hold back in critiquing the clear gender imbalance and skewed portrayal of not just Ariadne, but women as a whole in ancient mythology. Coming from the perspective of Caucasian men, women seemed to be thrown into myths as submissive, gentle beings that held the sole purpose of bearing children and raising their husbands to a higher pedestal. Furthermore, Saint hammers down the most common aspect of all Greek myths, as Ariadne puts it, “a truth of womanhood: however blameless a life [women] led, the passions and the greed of men could bring [them] to ruin, and there was nothing [they] could do.” Through her successes and failures, Ariadne shows the true strong-willed, independent nature of women without the greedy, egocentric nature of men to suppress them. 

In addition to that, instead of downplaying and sugarcoating the sexism that was rooted in ancient society, Saint makes sure that the pervasive gender inequality is seen and heard throughout the novel. Both Ariadne and her sister, Phaedra, are raised with the notion that suffering in the place of men is a natural part of womanhood and in the end, it is this suffering that leads to both their downfalls. 

Saint also touches on the concept of motherhood. Early in the story, she reveals that Ariadne’s mother, Queen Pasiphae, was driven to madness as a punishment meant for her father, King Minos. It is because of this madness that Crete not only loses their Queen, but Ariadne and Phaedra lose their mother. A shell of the person she once was, Pasiphae is unable to give her daughters the loving care and support they need. As they struggle through life alone, Saint reminds readers of just how valuable it is to have a figure to turn to in times of struggle. 

By giving a voice to the voiceless, Saint continues to pave the way to shed light on all the unsung heroines of Greek mythology. Ariadne serves as a beautiful reminder to the world that behind every male hero is a team of self-sufficient women, who’s stories often go untold. As Ariadne herself said, “I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing make me doubt the value of myself.”