Glorious Exploits -- Ferdia Lennon, Hardcover

An utterly original celebration of that which binds humanity across battle lines and history.

On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city: they've herded the sorry prisoners of war into a rock quarry and left them to rot. Looking for a way to pass the time, Lampo and Gelon, two unemployed potters with a soft spot for poetry and drink, head down into the quarry to feed the Athenians if, and only if, they can manage a few choice lines from their great playwright Euripides. Before long, the two mates hatch a plan to direct a full-blown production of Medea. After all, you can hate the people but love their art. But as opening night approaches, what started as a lark quickly sets in motion a series of extraordinary events, and our wayward heroes begin to realize that staging a play can be as dangerous as fighting a war, with all sorts of risks to life, limb, and friendship.

Told in a contemporary Irish voice and as riotously funny as it is deeply moving, Glorious Exploits is an unforgettable ode to the power of art in a time of war, brotherhood in a time of enmity, and human will throughout the ages.

Author: Ferdia Lennon
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Published: 03/26/2024
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.82lbs
Size: 8.49h x 5.68w x 1.08d
ISBN: 9781250893697

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal Prepub Alert 10/01/2023 pg. 7
Publishers Weekly 12/11/2023
Library Journal 01/01/2024 pg. 66
Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2024
Booklist 03/01/2024 pg. 30

About the Author
Ferdia Lennon was born in Dublin to an Irish mother and Libyan father. He studied History and Classics at University College Dublin and holds an MA in Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. His short stories have appeared in publications such as The Irish Times and The Stinging Fly. In 2019 and 2021, he was awarded Literature Bursaries from Arts Council Ireland. After spending many years in Paris, he now lives in Norfolk, England with his wife and son.