The Wandering Queen
An enchanting feminist retelling of the story of fierce Queen Dido and her tragic love affair with Prince Aeneas from the bestselling author of The Daughters of Sparta
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Narrated by:
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Meg Hateley
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By:
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Claire Heywood
About this listen
The King of Tyre is dead, his final words anointing his clever and strong-willed daughter, Elissa, as the new queen until his young son, Pygmalion, comes of age. But betrayal and danger soon haunt Elissa, and she is forced to flee the kingdom - exiled with a band of loyal followers and a broken heart.
After an arduous search for a new home, Elissa and her people settle in North Africa, and she is crowned Queen Dido: the ferocious and devoted ruler of her newly established city of Carthage. Soon a powerful trading hub, Carthage thrives under Dido's governance.
But when a band of Trojan survivors, led by the valiant Aeneas, washes up on a nearby shore, Queen Dido is reminded of a promise she made long ago, never to trust or to love another again. Can Dido overcome her past and open herself - and her city - up to Aeneas, or is their love doomed to burn everything to the ground?©2026 Claire Heywood
Critic reviews
PRAISE FOR THE WANDERING QUEEN
The Wandering Queen is a deliciously written tale that gets inside the heart and mind of one of antiquity's most tragic heroines, with some alternative twists added in for good measure
An intelligent, sympathetic retelling of the story of Dido, immortalised by Virgil as the irrational lover of Aeneas. Heywood incorporates the myths and legends that surround this mysterious queen and presents a narrative that is both powerful and compelling (Laura Shepperson)
A triumphant reclamation of the legend of Dido . . . Heywood brings Dido's story to vivid life, moving from the wealth of Tyre to the dusty plains of Carthage. In so doing, Heywood weaves an engaging yarn that restores the ancient queen to her rightful place of dignity (Luna McNamara)
Heywood has once again crafted an excellent mythology reimagining. With an adept and expert hand, Dido is painted as a complex, strong heroine in a story she has long deserved. Through themes of love, loss and power, Heywood has brought the ancient world back to life in a tale that is equally as heartbreaking as it is wonderful (Claire M. Andrews)
PRAISE FOR CLAIRE HEYWOOD
A beautifully woven tale . . . with brilliant, confident writing, The Shadow of Perseus has illuminated the stories of ladies too often relegated to the role of villain or damsel (Claire M. Andrews)
Re-energizes the Perseus myth . . . By re-interpreting the familiar characters in human terms, Claire Heywood gives new life and a startling new perspective to an old tale. Original and engrossing (Margaret George)
Heywood tells her story vividly, setting it convincingly in the period
Brilliantly compelling . . . the perfect balance between historical authenticity and characters who I really connected with (Sarah Bonner)
Fluent and persuasive. I admire the ambition with which Heywood tackles the subject, to which she brings freshness and verve. I enjoyed it very much (Elizabeth Buchan)
An immersive, intimate take on a well-known tale. By focussing on the diverging fates of two sisters, Heywood reveals the private lives of these women to be just as compelling as the epic events unfolding around them. (Amanda Block)
Vividly written and compelling
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