The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam
Phoebe has inherited her love of art and stories from her grandmother, Cass, spending much time with her in the sunny studio where they paint and share Greek myths. But Cass is struggling to remember things and has to go into a home. When Cass’s home is sold, Phoebe pays it one last visit and is swept into a strange adventure. Finding herself on a beach in Greece, she meets Leander, a boy who is on a quest to find out what happened to his father, one of King Odysseus’s shipbuilders, after the Trojan Wars. She also meets Hattie, her grandmother’s childhood friend, who sets Phoebe on a quest of her own- to defeat a monster and find her own way home.
This was a one-sitting read! Engaging from the first page, ‘The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam’ combines a thrilling adventure story with the poignant worries of a child coping with dementia in a loved one.
Like many children, Phoebe takes on worries which should not be hers, in this case, believing that she is responsible for her grandmother’s decline, that she should have told her mother that Cass was forgetting things. The close bond she and Cass share is beautifully captured, making both her grandmother’s decline and Phoebe’s feelings of guilt and loss all the more touching. The family are also dealing the the loss of Phoebe’s father who died whilst on a rescue for the RNLI and the fact that Cass has no memory of this, believing her son to still be alive, only adds to the family’s pain. This all makes the story sound very bleak- but it isn’t. Phoebe’s personal circumstances frame her adventure which is full of hope and healing… and action and adventure.
And there is plenty of action and adventure! Against a background of Greek myth, Phoebe and Leander embark on their quests, finding support and comfort in one another as they face dangers and dilemmas, overcoming their own fears and finding their way home once more. There are plenty of monsters, an epic sea voyage, excitement and peril in this imaginative and engrossing book!
The perfect candidate for story time selection, this book would make an excellent class read, engaging children with Greek myths and offering plenty to discuss and enjoy.
The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam
Annelise Gray
Zephyr ISBN: 978-1035911011
Published 11th September 2025
You can read my review of ‘Rider of the Storm’ here.
