The Daughters: A Novel

An electrifying novel from Leslie Jamison, one of our most beloved contemporary voices: the epic story of three women connected by the haunting power of an ancient myth.

Every monster has two mothers—the woman who bore him, and the pain that shapes him. They raise him together.

Knossos, 1550 BC: Newly wed to the tyrannical King Minos, the witch queen Pasiphaë makes a dangerous bargain. After giving birth to the legendary Minotaur, a creature she can barely fathom, she must wrestle with what it means to love a son the world calls monstrous.

New York, 1944: Beth yearns for something more than her picture-perfect life in the suburbs. But when an old friend calls and an image from the ancient past takes hold of her, Beth’s cloistered world cracks open, forcing her to make an impossible choice.

Crete, 1997: Reeling from grief after her father’s death, Jac finds unexpected solace with a mysterious community of women living in the hills of Crete. Under the thrall of the women’s charismatic leader, Jac feels compelled to stay. But the longer she remains, the darker the secrets she uncovers.

Full of the riveting prose and piercing insights that have made Jamison one of our most cherished nonfiction writers, The Daughters is a gripping novel that sweeps across centuries—a spellbinding exploration of desire, devotion, and the complexities of our deepest human bonds.