Lavinia A compulsive, heart-breaking historical romance

Ursula K. Le Guin, usually known for fantasy or science fiction, attempts yet another feat: to retell the Aeneid (Vergil's founding myth fo rome) from the perspective of Aeneas' wife, Lavinia. Lavinia is the daughter of the king of Latium and when confronted with a poet's oracle has to make a choice: marry Aeneas and provoke war or marry her suitor Turnus and go against prophecy. With her typical eye for not only characters, but also societies Le Guin completes a portrait of what the life and thoughts of a pre-roman princess would look like. This includes the belief in oracles, women as potential pawns in the formation of alliances, and the dominant position of violence. A moving retelling of a male-centered myth.