Stone Blind

Haynes (A Thousand Ships) offers a feminist retelling of Medusa’s story, suggesting that she may not have been the horror that she has always been made out to be. Haynes creates a beautifully loving life for Medusa—pre-Perseus—growing up as the only mortal among a family of Gorgons. But then Medusa is raped by Poseidon and further traumatized by Athene, who jealously turns her into the snake-haired creature of legend. Haynes poignantly explores what makes someone human or monstrous. Her Greek gods are distilled to their base characteristics—petty, dramatic, sometimes hilarious, but also devastating in their arrogance and privilege. Worst are those who have the benefit of being both divine and male, as their sense of entitlement has no bounds. Haynes narrates her own novel, bringing a transparency and passion that elevates the audio into something truly special. Her depiction of sweet Medusa’s death is devastating; listeners’ hearts will break as they consider the wrongs that she endured.