Latine Books to Read if You Loved THE ODYSSEY

By the time this post is out in the world, I will have seen Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey at least two times. There are a few minor things I might change were it up to me, but overall it blew me away; for a nerd who loves Greek mythology, an epic journey, lots of juicy gods vs. fate vs. personal responsibility discourse, and a score that really slaps, this is cinematic gold. My favorite part of the whole experience, though, has been the interest the film has sparked not only in Homer’s epic poem, but in related literature writ large. Folks in my feeds have been asking for reading recommendations, and receiving suggestions from passionate book nerds in droves. This is a great thing: people being jazzed about reading and interested in art is a cause for celebration. And while I love a lot of the stories I see recommended—I’m a known evangelist for Circe and The Song of Achilles, especially if you enjoy a recreational cry—I’d like to remind the people of two things: 1) people of color also write mythology and folklore retellings, and 2) the Greeks and Romans aren’t the only ones with rich storytelling traditions about gods and monsters, magic and mischief, or heroes going on journey...