The Priestess and the Slave

The Priestess and the Slave looks at the political turmoil of fifth century BC Greece through the eyes of two women, one a slave and one a farmer's daughter who became a Pythia in her fifties. The novella intertwines the stories of Perialla, the Pythia at Delphi who was bribed by the Spartan king Kleomenes around 491BC, and Harmonia, a slave looking after the family which owned her, during the devastating Plague of Athens (which broke out in the second year of the Peloponnesian War). The two women never meet, but their very different stories echo and complement one another. "A compelling blend of vivid storytelling and meticulous research. Fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable." --Alison Goodman, author of Eon: Dragoneye Reborn "Completely fascinating - a vivid and evocative glimpse into the life of the past, with its terrors and joys so strange and yet so familiar." -- Kate Forsyth, best-selling author of the Chain of Charms series, the Witches of Eileanan series, the Rhiannon's Ride series, and Full Fathom Five "It's such a joy to read a historical novel written by an author who has such authority over her material. Jenny Blackford's first novel The Priestess and the Slave brilliantly recreates the politics, culture, and mindset of ordinary and extraordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. I can only wait impatiently to discover what treasures her next novel will reveal."--Jack Dann, bestselling author of The Memory Cathedral, and The Silent.