Persephone, daughter of the Goddess of Earth, is innocently picking flowers with her friends when she is suddenly whisked away by Hades, the king of the Underworld. As her mother Demeter searches for her, winter is brought to the land, and is destined to stay the moment Persephone tastes the seeds of a pomegranite... 

Persephone is probably the most well-known of all Greek myths, being that which is most etiological and linked to the culture of Ancient Greece. But, as co-founder of the Company of Storytellers, Sally Pomme Clayton is perhaps best placed to ensure the myth stays fresh beyond the umpteenth classroom retelling, whilst keeping it accessible and exciting for first-time readers. It is not light reading by any means. Whereas teachers may have given Persephone the "fairy tale treatment" to skirt issues such as the abduction of women, Clayton pulls no punches, and the artwork of Virginia Lee is violently grandiose. Hades erupts from the ground in a giant black chariot and carries off Persephone under his arm, and forces his way back to the Underworld with a crack of his whip. And it is not Demeter's sorrow that causes the earth to weep with her and bring about winter. Instead, the goddess curses the soil in her bitter rage and tearing anguish, forcing the hand of Zeus into action. The result is a version of the myth that evokes strong emotions in the reader, and could lead neatly into a discussion about how each of the characters must have been feeling. Even the emotions of Hades himself are not spared the pen, and children can be guided into considering his sadness at the loss of his wife as much as Demeter's loss of her daughter.

Where the telling fails somewhat is with the character of Persephone. She is completely a "mummy's girl", and doesn't seem to open up to Hades in any way. This restricts the story very much to its interpretation as an explanation of the seasons, and shuns other important meanings such as the role of women in marriage. While this is clearly a result of Clayton's chosen focus, it keeps the book from introducing as many facets of Ancient Greek society as it could have done. Even the "about the story" pages, which attempt to provide a contemporary view of how the myth would be construed, sit awkwardly at the end of such a narrow take on the story.

Despite this, Lee's artwork and Clayton's dramatic style mean this telling should capture the imagination of all youngsters and adults alike. For this power to captivate alone, it is a recommended introduction to the often harsh romanticism of Greek mythology.

2009-06-06