Glorious Exploits

An exciting, highly original story about brotherhood, war, and art, as well as the courage to dream of something greater than ourselves. "Bold and completely unexpected, I loved this book," Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain. "A very special, clever, and entertaining book," Roddy Doyle, author of Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha.

It is 412 BC, and the invasion of Sicily by Athens has ended in catastrophic failure. Thousands of Athenian soldiers are trapped in the quarries of Syracuse, starving, demoralized, and clinging to the thinnest thread. Lampo and Gelon are local potters, young men without work and barely two obols to their name. When they begin visiting the nearby quarry, they discover prisoners reciting lines from Euripides' plays in desperation for breadcrumbs and a few olives.

Thus, an idea is born: the men will perform Medea in the quarry. A proper performance that is meant to be sung through the ages. After all, you can hate the Athenians for invading your territory, but still love their poetry. However, as the boldness of their undertaking becomes clear, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between enemies and friends. As the performance approaches, the men are tested in ways they could never have imagined.

"Madly ambitious, cathartic like any great tragedy, but also shockingly funny, Ferdia Lennon's outstanding debut is simply magnificent," Emma Donoghue, author of Room.