69 pages 2 hours read

Natalie Haynes

A Thousand Ships

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-9

Reading Check

1. Who is Creusa’s husband?

2. Why has Hecabe’s youngest son been taken out of Troy?

3. Why does Penelope not blame her husband, Odysseus, for the Trojan War?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is Calliope annoyed with the old poet?

2. Who is Antenor? How does he save himself and his family?

3. When does Hecabe say she knew Troy was doomed to fall?

Paired Resources

The Trojan Women—and Many More—Speak Up in ‘A Thousand Ships’

  • In this NPR interview, Haynes discusses her novel and some of her inspirations.
  • This connects to the themes of Centering Women’s Experiences and Giving Voice to the Silenced.
  • How does Haynes’s novel address issues that remain relevant today?

The Epic Cycle

  • This is a translation of Proclus’ summary of the “Epic Cycle,” a collection of ancient epics on the Trojan War and its aftermath.
  • This connects to the theme of The Meaning of a Hero.
  • Are the warriors who fought at Troy true heroes? Why or why not?